Chasing Fireflies
by labellebeaucoup
Summary: 11 years. 3 children. Those were the facts of their marriage. And now? Now they only said 'hello' and 'goodbye' every weekend when they exchanged their children like it was some business transaction. *Olitz endgame*
1. As Close

**Disclaimer: **_I am team Olitz and I always will be. I want to ask that anyone who reads this keep in mind that Olitz is and always will be endgame in anything I write. Even if it doesn't seem like it at first._

* * *

_Beep. Beep. _

Fitz rolled over, slamming his fist against the annoyingly loud alarm clock on his nightstand. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand, he slowly popped one eye open. 11:45 flashed back at him. With a groan and a widening of his eyes, he tossed the tangled mess of sheets from his body. He knew he had set that alarm for 11:30.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, feet hitting the soft, off-white carpet, he stood. There wasn't time to shower - there was barely time to get dressed. Locating a pair of khaki shorts and his white undershirt, he dressed in a hurry. He frowned as he caught a whiff of his shirt. The smell of sweat and the acrid, sour stench of gunpowder assaulted his nostrils. It hadn't been a good night.

Yawning, Fitz slipped his feet into a pair of slides and padded out of the bedroom. Stopping at the wicker dresser in the hall by the door, he grabbed his keys. Outside, the late September sun nearly blinded him and the dry, hot air took his breath away. Trekking through crunchy grass, he hit the unlock button on his keys. A couple beeps later, he was opening the yellow door of his Dodge Ram. Sliding into the cracked, warm leather seat, he slammed the door and jammed his keys into the ignition. Twisting the key, engine roaring to life, he pulled the gear shift into reverse.

"Fucking cat," he swore, waiting for the large, black and white cat to move. Sylvester had a thing for the outdoors and if Fitz wasn't paying attention, like right now, he would sneak out. Oh well. He'd stay around the house and if the neighbour didn't let him back in before Fitz got back, Seph or Athena would make sure he went in with them. He was their cat, anyway.

The clock in the truck read 11:58 by the time Sylvester had sauntered out of the way and Fitz was finally able to backup. On the street, he came to terms with the knowledge that he was going to be at least five minutes late. Olivia would be pissed, but she was just going to have to be pissed. He'd been on time every other time. He knew she got out of church at noon and that was why they had decided on this time, but she also knew that he worked third shift every Saturday.

"Really?" Fitz whispered under his breath as he slowed to a crawl on the hill leading into town. Typically, it was only about a five minute drive from his home to their designated place at the IGA on the other end of town. Of course today would be the day he got behind a tractor. At the top of hill, he was finally able to pass, lifting a hand in Randy's direction as he did so. He was less frustrated about a mile later when he had to roll to a stop in front of the stoplight. Getting stopped in the middle of town was always inevitable.

Once the light turned green, it was only a matter of minutes before Fitz was pulling into the large, nearly empty parking lot on that end of town. He grimaced as he hit a pothole, one of many that littered the whole lot. Rumour had it that old Carl would be repairing the whole thing after this week's fair. He rolled to a stop in the back right corner, beside Olivia's white Yukon. Putting the truck in park, he turned off the engine.

"You're late."

At least she didn't sound mad. It was just an observation.

"I overslept."

"Seph fell asleep. Do you want me to wake her?"

"I'll get their stuff loaded first."

She nodded, hitting a button on her keys and watching the back of the SUV rise into the air. She crossed her arms under her chest, staying quiet as he loaded bag after bag into the bed of his pickup. Three black suitcases. One for each of their kids. Shutting his tailgate, he walked around to the back of Olivia's car, shutting her trunk. His eyes lit up when he saw Athena standing by her mother. The twelve year old was as tall as Olivia already. Either she was a fast grower or she had taken after her father in the height department.

"Hey kiddo."

"Hey dad." She gave him a large grin, her lime green braces drawing his attention. She'd finally stopped getting embarrassed by the things.

"I'll grab your brother and sister then we'll go."

Opening the car door, he found Seph asleep in her carseat and Helios playing on his tablet. The seven year old turned to his father, dropping the tablet to the seat beside him.

"Dad! Are we going to the fair?" His smile revealed a gap between his front teeth.

"Already got your passes. You lost another tooth, buddy."

"This morning. Mom packed it so the tooth fairy can get it tonight."

"We'll have to remember to place it under your pillow. Now hop out and get in the truck."

The boy did as he was asked, reaching back into the car to grab his tablet before slamming the door. Fitz shook his head as the sound of Olivia chastising their son floated to his ears. His fingers worked to undo the various buckles holding Seph into her seat. When he finally got the straps undone, he lifted the little girl into his arms. She opened her dark eyes as he was struggling to close the door, gave him a sleepy smile, and snuggled her cheek into his shoulder. He rubbed her back, rounding the SUV and heart hurting, as always, at how much his little girl looked like her momma. Athena was his carbon copy and Helios had inherited the best from both parents.

"I heard Lio tell you about his tooth. It's in a baggie on top of his clothes." Olivia held the back door open for him as Fitz placed Seph into the carseat in his truck. After he was finished, he moved out of the way for Olivia to shut the door.

"Sorry I was late." He tried. They were getting better at letting all the hurt and anger go. It had taken time, but they were finally there.

"It's your job."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he offered another Olive Branch.

"If you want to go to the fair with them any, just text me."

"Thanks. Bye Fitz."

"Bye Olivia."

He watched her wave to their kids, blowing a kiss through the window before she got into her SUV. As he rounded his truck, he heard her start her engine and slowly drive away. Sighing, he opened his truck door and climbed in. The sound of some Taylor Swift song and Helios's complaining hit his ears.

"Dad, make her change it!"

"You're not even listening. You're playing Minecraft," Athena fired back.

"Stop arguing. Unless you're going to put your tablet down, Ath can choose the music."

"But this song sucks."

"Maybe she thinks your game is boring. Does that mean you should stop playing?"

Helios tilted his head to the side, meeting his dad's gaze in the rearview mirror before shrugging and going back to his game. Athena's rummaging in her pocket drew Fitz's attention from the backseat to the seat beside him. He smiled to himself when she pulled her earbuds from her pocket and handed the headphones back to her brother. Even when they were fighting, she was still a good sister.

"Where are we going to for lunch?" Fitz asked as he began pulling out of his parking space. They always had lunch together on Sundays. Either before he dropped them off or after he picked them up. It was part of their routine.

"Can we go to Mama Rosa's?" Athena was quick to suggest.

"Yeah!" Helios agreed from the backseat.

Fitz smiled to himself, turning right out of the parking lot at the stop-sign. The kids loved Mama Rosa's and all of its small town charm. Of course they were stopped by the light in the middle of town. Athena took that time to continue blasting music from her phone and, as a song Fitz actually knew the lyrics to began playing, Fitz began singing along.

"You are somebody that I don't know."

The look on Athena's face was priceless. It only took her a second to recover and then she was singing right along with him. They belted every line of that song together. Loudly. Even after he had parked alongside the road, they waited until the song was over before getting out of the truck.

"Hey Sheriff!"

The bell's ring over the door echoed behind the quartet as they entered Mama's and Mama herself greeted them. Her loud, larger-than-life voice carried through the diner and her ample frame leaned against the bar across from the glass, double doors.

"And his little deputies are with him!"

"Hi Mama." Athena was the first to greet the older woman.

"Go have a seat! I'll send Lillian out with your drinks."

At their usual booth in the corner, under one of the flat screen tv's, they began the process of filling each other in on their week. Athena had gotten a B on that science test she was worried about. Helios had promised to ask if his dad would help coach basketball and Seph was supposed to have her first spelling test after fair break.

"Dad," Athena began, coating a mozzarella stick in marinara sauce, "Mom said somebody robbed the BP in Fairfax last night."

"Yes they did and yes I was there." He had always been honest about his job and the dangers of it with them. It was better to talk through their questions and their fears than to pretend they didn't have any.

"She said the guy died."

"He did."

"And that he shot at the cops."

"He did. That was before my department got there."

"I was worried."

"That's normal."

She bowed her head, long blonde hair falling into her face. Athena was a natural brunette, like her father, but had begged to bleach her hair a week ago. After a conversation between both parents, Olivia had taken her to get it done. Shoving her hair to the side and biting her lip, she said the one thing to make Fitz's heart stop.

"Mom was worried too."

* * *

"Sylvester! You're supposed to be inside." Seph struggled to lift the heavy cat in her arms, following her brother into the house.

"I'll grab mine and, dad." Athena jogged around the truck and took her back from Fitz's hands. Shouldering Seph and Helios's bags, Fitz followed Athena up the sidewalk and into the house. He dropped the bags onto the floor.

"You need to check on the goats, Ath."

"Let me put my bag in my room."

The cat ran past him in a blur, followed closely by Seph. That poor cat.

"I'm going to take my suitcase to my room, dad." Helios appeared from the restroom down the hall.

"Did you already take Ivor to the fair?" Athena emerged from her bedroom in a blue and white Hillsborough cheer shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts that brought a frown to Fitz's face.

"Your grandpa took him last night. We'll have to go take care of him later."

She nodded, bounding out the backdoor and in the direction of the field behind the house. His daughter was an animal lover so he never had to remind her to take care of the goats, horses, cows, rabbits, or chickens. Athena would even check Sylvester and Greywind though they were her brother and sister's responsibility. At the end of the week, he knew he would be comforting her after she had to sell Ivor. That's how it went every year at the fair.

"Daddy! Sylvester is hiding under my bed!"

Fitz smiled to himself at Seph's call. Turning and walking down the hall, he chuckled as he glanced into Seph's room. The little girl was half under the bed, legs sticking out, and meowing. Just another day with his little ones.

* * *

"Good morning, Sheriff." Kolbie greeted as Fitz entered the Sheriff's station. Adjusting the belt around his waist, he nodded at the receptionist. The young girl had proven invaluable since he'd hired her a couple months back as a favour to her uncle. If it could be called a favour. Fitz knew better than to tell the mayor no - not when he had a favour of his own to ask, anyway.

Using his key to open the door, he entered the hallway and walked back to his office. He had only just gotten settled into his chair when there was a knock on the door.

"What's up Stephen?" Fitz barely glanced up from his computer as his fingers flew across the keyboard, typing in his login credentials.

"You driving the car in the parade tonight?"

"Yeah. I think Lio is going to ride with me and Athena is doing the cheer float this year."

"What about Seph? She can go with Lisa and the boys if you need her to."

"Thanks. My mom and dad are taking her."

Stephen nodded, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"We had another issue with Hillsborough last night."

"Again?" Fitz turned his attention to Stephen, his eyes wide.

"Jake was all the way in Bethel. We got a call from the lady he pulled over."

"That's twenty minutes out of his jurisdiction. What the hell?"

"It's all in the report. Just in case he calls to complain. Huck and I didn't give a damn about hurting his feelings."

Fitz snorted at the suggestion that Jake would even think about giving him a call.

"That dumbass isn't going to call me. I'm going to call the Chief. Next time, tase his ass."

"I see you two still aren't getting along." Stephen smirked as Fitz gave him the finger. The two were close, having started the force around the same time, and Stephen knew Fitz's feelings toward Jake as well as the why behind those feelings. At this point, he was just trying to get Fitz riled up. And it was working.

"No, Stephen. The man who fucked my ex-wife in my bed while we were still married isn't off my shit list. He can go to Hell for all I care."

"How is ol' Olivia by the way?"

"Good, I suppose. Unless it's about the kids, we don't speak."

"She finally stopped being a bitch and blaming you for fucking another man?"

"I'm sure it's still somehow my fault." Fitz shrugged. He didn't dwell on that part of his life very often anymore. They had three beautiful kids from their marriage and Olivia? Olivia had Jake now. It was...less than perfect, but what could he do?

"Man I actually liked her too."

"Marriage is messy. You should know that by now. Liv and I just couldn't make it work."

"I probably wouldn't make it work with Lisa if she cheated either." Pushing off the wall, Stephen dropped his arms and hit his hand against the doorframe.

"I don't know. Sometimes I wish I would have done things differently."

Shaking his head, Stephen walked out of the room and left Fitz to dig through his emails from the previous night. By the time Big Jerry dropped Helios off, Fitz was finally caught up on all his administrational duties. He had also gotten a call in to the Hillsborough Chief about Jake that had been less than pleasant. Now, he found himself scheduled to meet with the very man he wanted nothing more than to eviscerate. Wednesday morning was going to suck.

"Dad?" Helios was following Fitz out to the car they would be driving in the parade.

"Yeah, buddy?"

Fitz hit the unlock button on his set of keys. Opening the door of the patrol car, he held it as Helios got in.

"Can I have a phone like Athena?" Helios asked as Fitz slid behind the wheel.

"We'll talk about it later, bud. Let's focus on the fair and parade, okay?" Fitz clicked his seatbelt into place, checking Helios's before turning the engine on.

"We'll talk about it, right?"

"Yes, Lio."

They drove in silence to the high school parking lot where all the other vehicles and floats were lining up in the order they would be participating in the parade. Fitz drove through the parking lot, parking at the front of the line and rolling the windows down.

"Are you going to toss candy, Lio?"

"Yeah!"

That was always Helios's favourite part. That and getting to turn the patrol car's lights on. The kid was always talking about being a cop when he grew up. Just like his dad. Fitz helped Helios open candy bags and dump them into the small, plastic bowl in his lap.

"Ready to get this started?" Fitz winked, putting the car in drive.

"Whoo!" Helios shouted, finger moving to the switch for the lights as Fitz turned onto the dead main street through town, laughing along with his son.

* * *

**A/N - **Just like Ocean's Daughter, this one will be updated weekly. I just finished writing this not long ago and now I'm going back through and typing up the chapters. Yes, I hand wrote it first.

So, this chapter introduced Olitz's children and there was a bit of what has been going on between the two up until this point. Fitz and Olivia have quite the journey ahead of them and their children are going to play rather large roles.

I hope all of you who read this and didn't run the moment you realised that Olitz are divorced and Jake is involved, enjoyed what you've read so far. Please trust in the process and remember - wherever Jake and Mellie are concerned, karma is a bitch.

Until next time,

Gabi


	2. Things Are Never As They Seem

"Are you at least going to be at my show?"

Olivia sighed, rubbing her temples before resting her head in her hands. She hated disappointing her daughter. Especially after the divorce. There was no way she was going to get off work in time to attend Athena's goat show.

"Ath…"

"Don't mom. You promised and like always, you're breaking that promise. But it's okay. Dad, mamaw, and papaw are going to be there. Have fun with Jake."

"Athena Harlow!"

It was too late, though. The pre-teen had already hung up. Olivia sighed, hitting the speakerphone button and silencing the repetitive dial tone that was echoing through the small office. For a moment, as she eyed the phone, she considered calling Fitz. Taking a deep breath, she decided against that course of action. Fitz didn't need to know about her recent arguments with Athena. Olivia was sure they were only happening because Athena was close to hitting her teenage years. It was cool to hate her mom. That had to be the reason.

"She'll come around," Olivia whispered to herself. Sighing, she continued typing away. She needed to finish her lecture notes. Work had been falling behind lately. There was always something with the kids and Jake. If he had it his way, she would quit. She'd become a stay-at-home mom and stop doing what she loved. It was a never-ending argument.

"Dr. Grant?"

She turned her attention toward the doorway, a frown threatening to show on her face. The guilt she felt every time she heard _his_ last name was an un-welcomed reminder of the mistake she had made. Forward was the only direction to move now. Looking back was pointless and she couldn't dwell on the past. She also, unfortunately, couldn't afford to change her last name at the moment. At least not professionally. It would be career suicide. She had done too much research and published too many articles under that name. Ask any history major or historian to name the leading researchers of Ancient Greece and Dr. Grant's Classical research was always mentioned.

"James, right?"

"Um...yeah." He looked surprised. Not that Olivia could blame him. His class was rather large.

"How can I help you?" Olivia hit save on her computer before spinning around in her chair to fully face her student.

"I had a question about the paper you assigned."

"Have a seat." Olivia gestured toward the cushioned chair on the other side of her desk.

"It will only take a second." He smiled. "I was just wondering if I may reference your works."

"If you are willing to read my works, of course you may reference them. Properly."

"Absolutely! Thank you, Dr. Grant."

"I'll see you in class, tomorrow."

* * *

"Pick up, Ath." Olivia groaned when Athena's voicemail began playing in her ear again. She had tried multiple times during her forty-five minute drive to reach her daughter. Each time, she had been greeted by the familiar tone of Athena's voicemail. It was 6:30 - the goat show had ended a couple hours ago. So where was she?

As Olivia pulled into her driveway, she thought about calling Fitz. She could talk to Lio and Seph. Putting her SUV in park, she shook her head. If she couldn't get ahold of Athena later, then she would call Fitz. Until then, there was no reason to worry. Shutting the engine off, Olivia grabbed her purse and slid out of the vehicle. Rounding her SUV, she frowned at the sight of Jake standing on the porch. He almost always beat her home. The frown on his face nearly made her dive back into her car. Arguments had become their speciality since she had moved in with him. Squaring her shoulders, Olivia trudged up the sidewalk and onto the porch.

"Your ex is trying to get me fired!"

Olivia sighed. Not even a "Hi honey. How was your day?" Never had Jake greeted her like that.

"How?" She walked past him, opening the door and entering the house. Jake was quick to follow - the door slamming behind him just as Olivia was depositing her purse on the black end table.

"Some bullshit jurisdiction enforcement." Jake leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. His eyes flashed wildly as he recounted the events of his day. Olivia listened, nodding and 'hmming' where necessary, as she unzipped and pulled her boots from her feet. At the end of his story, Olivia shrugged and made to move past him. What was there to say? Fitz technically hadn't done anything wrong. It was Jake's inability to follow rules.

"You don't have anything to say? No support?" Jake reached out, wrapping his hand around her upper arm in a vice-like grip. She bit her lip at the feel of his fingers digging into the flesh of her arm - enough so to cause pain to radiate from the area.

"I...don't know what to say, Jake." And she didn't. These outbursts of his were becoming more and more frequent and they always left her confused and hurt - both physically and mentally. Things with Jake had been great at first, but that hadn't lasted for long.

"That you agree with me. That he's an ass. He shouldn't be Sheriff. He for damn sure shouldn't have any rights to those kids. He's a loose cannon." And there it was. That same, tiring argument he had been making since she had moved in. Olivia didn't quite understand Jake's obsession with her children and their custody arrangement.

"Jake," Olivia pleaded, exhaling when he finally released her arm, "We've talked about this."

"And every time is the same. What kind of mother won't fight for her kids?"

Olivia lowered her gaze, arm tingling, as his words hit her ears. He always knew how to hurt her.

"Go fix dinner," he snarled and obediently, she practically ran for the kitchen.

After dinner, a simple cheeseburger affair that Jake had spent the whole evening complaining about, Olivia sat on the wooden porch swing. Quiet darkness engulfed her and a chilly breeze had her pulling her sweater tighter. In the distance, she could just make out the faint glow of the fairgrounds. If she were in a better mood, she would have gone. As it was, her evening with Jake had left her rather soured to the idea. Now that he was out with friends she wanted nothing more than to bask in the quiet.

"Finally." Olivia's attention fell to the phone laying in her lap. The luminous glow cast a ghastly shadow on her face. Lifting the device to her ear, she answered.

"Ath!"

"You called?"

Olivia frowned at the chilly tone in Athena's voice. So, she was still upset about that evening. Olivia shook her head - Athena was going to have to get over it. It wouldn't hurt to remind her that she was speaking to her mother, either.

"Athena Harlow." Olivia's tone was serious, stern even. "Need I remind you that you are speaking to your mother?"

"Am I?" Athena fired back and Olivia could just imagine the eyeroll that had accompanied her statement. Olivia had always thought names were important and, by the time she had her children, her love of classical research had coupled with her desire to give her children strong names. Now that they were older, all three were living up to their commanding names. And Olivia was starting to regret the choice of 'Athena's Army' for her eldest.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means half the time, I don't even recognise you." Athena exhaled. "I have chores I have to do. Here's Seph."

Olivia's frown deepened as she heard the phone being passed around. Athena clearly didn't want to talk to her and the girl's attitude...Olivia was pretty sure the teenage years were going to kill her.

"Mommy!"

All the frustration and anger Olivia had felt melted away at the happy, shrill voice on the other end. Leave it to Seph to turn a bad day around.

"Hey Sephy." Olivia scooted around on the swing, lowering her feet to the cool, wooden planks of the porch and using her big toe to begin swaying back and forth. "What are you up to?"

"Playing LPS."

Olivia smiled - her daughter was obsessed with those bright, colourful animals and their accessories. Last time they had counted, her collection had exceeded 300. They were scattered everywhere and it seemed Olivia was always stepping on them. Always.

"That sounds like a lot of fun! Did you go to the fair today?"

"Yeah! We watched Ath. Tiffani took me on rides and she let me get my face painted!"

"Tiffani?"

"Daddy's friend! We met her today. I really like her."

Olivia felt a tug at her gut. She had known the day was coming. It had been two years - of course Fitz was going to eventually move on. She hadn't anticipated it to hurt this much. Still, she couldn't let that hurt show to her daughter.

"That's...that's good, Seph. Is she there now?"

"No! Her and daddy went to get pumpkins. We're making Jack-O-Lanterns."

Another painful pang. At one point, Fall and all of its activities had been their thing. Even before the kids were born. It had started back in high school - when they had first started to date. Back when she was the captain of the cheerleading squad and he was their quarterback. Sighing, she was drawn back to reality at the sound of Seph's voice.

"Mommy? Mommy I'm going to go. Daddy's back!"

"Have fun, Seph. Tell Lio and Ath I love them."

"Okay. I love you mommy!"

"I love you, too, baby girl."

Sighing, Olivia laid her phone beside her on the swing. Her day had gone from bad to worse. She wasn't sure she even wanted to know what tomorrow was going to throw at her.

* * *

_Are you going to the fair tonight? _

_Seph wants you to take her._

Olivia's eyes scanned the text messages that crossed her screen. Both were from Athena. There was no mention of what she or Lio wanted. Biting her lip, Olivia waited a minute to see if, maybe, Athena would send another text saying that she wanted to see her mother as well. Of course one wasn't forthcoming. These days, it was like Seph was the only one still on her side.

_I can pick her up at 4:30. I'm going to your competition. _

She laid the phone back on the desk beside the computer she had been using. The PowerPoint on her computer screen was displayed on the board at the front of the classroom. Students were still slowly trickling in - they had another two minutes to be in their seats before class started. The buzzing of her phone drew Olivia's attention and she read the message displayed there.

_Don't worry about it._

Exhaling, Olivia flipped her phone over. She couldn't get into an argument with Athena right now. Not when she was getting ready to start teaching. No. For now, she was just going to have to do her best to ignore that message. Taking a deep breath and plastering a smile on her face, Olivia turned her attention to the students sitting in the lecture hall. Switching her microphone on, she began speaking:

"Alright class! Today we're going to discuss gender roles in Ancient Greece. We will discuss gender roles, briefly, for all _poleis_. Our main focus; however, will be on Attica and Lacedaemon. Any questions?"

Olivia tried not to smirk as nearly half the room suddenly had their hands in the air. This was only the second week of classes and, for this particular class, their third time in her classroom. Most were underclassmen and quite a few were unfamiliar faces to her. If she had to guess, this was the first class they had decided to attend. Before calling on a student, Olivia decided to give the customary spiel she was sure she would be giving before all questions were answered, anyway.

"It is not necessary to know Greek or Ancient Greek for this course; however, if you do know either language, you will find it beneficial. We will be using Greek terms, where applicable, rather than their English counterparts. For those who did not read their textbooks: _poleis _is the plural of _polis _or city-state. Attica and Lacedaemon were the _poleis _while Athens and Sparta were the capital cities. Now, does anyone have any questions that do _not _pertain to what they should have already read?"

Olivia's eyes scanned the crowd, watching as the students slowly lowered their arms. A few looked embarrassed while others looked upset. It was a common sight in her classroom. Her students either loved her or hated her, but they all agreed that she was tough. Turning back to the PowerPoint on her screen, Olivia began her lecture.

* * *

_Tonight we are victorious_

_Champagne pouring over us_

_All my friends were glorious_

_Tonight we are victorious_

Olivia practically ran up the grand stand, feet pounding against the metal stairs as she zeroed in on where Seph and Lio were sitting. The loud, chant-like opening of the song Ath's squad had chosen for their routine was echoing from the ring down below. Unbidden, Olivia's gaze fell on the thin blonde sitting beside Fitz, scooting closer to him when Lio moved toward her - making enough room for Olivia to sit by Seph on the edge of the seat. Breathing deeply, Olivia turned her attention to the blue mat covering the dusty ring. It was better than focusing on the other end of the bleacher-style seat.

A sea of junior high girls, dressed in white and blue uniforms, bounded onto the mat. Olivia could just make out Athena's platinum locks held back in a high ponytail. The tall, lanky girl was just landing a back handspring.

"She's been practicing all week. She's amazing." The blonde had turned her attention toward Olivia, a friendly smile on her face as she extended her hand, leaning to the side. Olivia bit her lip, leaning over Seph and extending her own hand - meeting the woman halfway as the blonde introduced herself. "I'm Tiffani."

"Olivia."

Olivia was thankful when she returned her attention to the girls below after their handshake. Play nice with the new girl wasn't on her to-do list for the day.

"Mommy." Seph tugged on her sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Can I do that?"

Olivia smiled. Seph was in gymnastics and Olivia had been expecting that question for a while now. So much so that she had already filled the paper out for the youth cheer camp that would be taking place in the coming months.

"Yes!"

As the song began to slow and the girls raised their pom-poms - spelling 'Wildcats', Olivia turned toward Fitz.

"Seph is coming with me, right?"

Tearing his gaze from Athena, Fitz responded: "Yeah. I can pick her up later or you can drop her off. Just text or call first. We're going to hang around here for a while. Athena's going to want to hear if they placed and Lio wants to hang out with some of his friends."

"Alright then," Olivia stood, holding her hand toward Seph, "We'll see you guys later."

She struggled not to frown when Seph stood, stumbling past her brother, and hugged Tiffani before throwing her arms around her father. Blinking, Olivia wrapped her hand around Seph's when the child slipped hers into her mother's. Walking slowly down the metal steps, Olivia was slightly less sure about these changes than she had been two years ago.

* * *

**A/N - **Alright. Olivia's POV (and yes, you are supposed to hate Jake even more after reading this). I'm certain that some of you can already guess just how the resolution of the Jake problem will happen based on what you have learned about him through this chapter. The cheating aspect still hasn't been explained (it will be), but Olivia does appear somewhat remorseful and there is definitely some tension between her, Jake, and Athena. I wonder why that is?

I had a few questions about the kids' names after last chapter which I ignored because I knew that you would be getting answers to that in this chapter. To recap: Olivia is an Ancient Greek historian. She wanted her kids to have strong names and she decided on those names through her career. The names and meanings are:

Athena Harlow - "Athena's Army". Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare.

Helios Evander - Helios was the Greek god of the Sun and Evander ("strong" or "good") was an ancient hero whom myth says brought Grecian culture and language to ancient Italy.

Persephone Kore: Persephone was the Greek goddess of vegetation and Queen of the Underworld. Kore ("the girl") was her name prior to her marriage to Hades.

Until next time,

Gabi


	3. A Story to Tell

"I'll see you next Sunday." Fitz finished strapping Seph into her carseat and kissed her cheek. The little girl held a stuffed bat to her chest. It was incredibly life-like. Athena had won it at one of the carnival games after Seph had cried for it. Fitz thought it was creepy. Seph loved it. And so, she had won out and carried it everywhere with her.

"Okay, daddy. I miss you." Seph wrapped her little arms around his neck, squeezing hard. Fitz smiled to himself, returning her hug as best he could before stepping back and shutting the SUV's door. Lio was already sitting in the backseat, iPad in hand.

"I'll see you later, dad. I'll call you." Athena threw her arms around Fitz, hugging him tight.

"Don't forget to send me your order forms. You're going to win this year." Fitz pulled away, keeping his hands on her upper arms.

"I will, dad. We have a game Thursday night. Will you be there?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world, kiddo. I'm actually starting to like soccer," Fitz winked, patting her shoulder before letting her go with a smile on her face. He stood there, watching as she climbed into the passenger seat before he dropped his shoulders and slowly began walking toward his truck.

"I'll see you Sunday."

Fitz turned his head, surprised that Olivia had spoken. He held a hand up in response before sliding into his truck. It wasn't until they were gone that he allowed his head to fall, resting against the hard leather of the steering wheel. After a moment or two of self-pity, it was never going to get easier dropping his kids off, he turned the key in the ignition and finally left the parking lot.

The house was eerily quiet when he entered. He was never going to get used to that silence. Sitting on the sofa, he frowned at the sight of one of Lio's Hot Wheels. Grabbing the tiny, toy car, he spun the wheels against his palm. Studying the toy, he sighed and placed it on the coffee table. There would be little reminders strewn throughout the house that he would find for the rest of the week. He wouldn't find them all. He never did.

A shrill ring coming from his phone drew his attention. Reaching for the device, Fitz slid his finger across the screen before placing the phone to his ear.

"Hey baby."

"Hi." Tiffani's voice came across the line, cheery. "Kids with their mom?"

"Just dropped them off."

"I'm sorry."

"It is what it is." He shrugged, leaning back into the cushions and resting his head against the back of the sofa.

"You'll see them Thursday. Unless she doesn't go to the game again."

"God I hope not. That'll crush Athena."

"She hasn't gone to any of Ath's games this year."

"She didn't used to be that way." Fitz sighed, running a hand across his face. "I'm not making excuses for her. But she's not who she used to be."

"Or she's not pretending to be someone else anymore?"

"I don't have the answers to that."

"Hopefully she'll be there for Ath."

"If she's not, you will be."

"Already moved things around so I'll be there." Fitz shoved back against the sofa, sitting up. "What are you doing?"

"Just getting off work."

"Want to grab some coffee and go for a walk?"

"I'll meet you at the park."

* * *

"Hey baby." Fitz handed the tall blonde a warm, styrofoam cup of coffee. She took the cup, wrapping her hands around its warmth. The weather had turned chilly over the weekend - falling to the fifties most days.

"Hi." She leaned into him when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Together, they began the trek around the park. There wasn't much to the Mary Hagger Memorial Park, but it was still always a bustling area in town. Joggers and bikers passed them on the path. Kids, bundled in jackets and gloves, played on the playset.

"How was work?"

"Well, one of the guys kept hitting on me."

"Did he now?" Fitz chuckled, sipping his coffee. She never had a shortage of interesting stories from work. He was there a couple times a year for training exercises or just to lend a hand when the state's own force wasn't able to make the long drive from lake area - usually during the winter. Fitz enjoyed the time he had to spend at the nursing home - the old guys were a riot.

"Told me I should come back to his room when I wasn't so busy."

"Ha. What unit were you on today?"

"A1. So it's not like I can blame him for saying any of that."

"No. I thought you didn't like that unit, though."

"Jessica has the flu and that unit has to have an RN all the time."

He nodded, sipping his coffee and leading her around a corner in the cracked pavement walkway circling the park. A1 was a tough unit - the dementia unit. It took a special person to work that one.

"Kristi is having a costume party at her bar the weekend before Halloween." One of Tiffani's coworkers had bought the old tavern a town over and spent the summer fixing it up. She kept inviting them - one of the supervisors from the nursing home had a band that played regularly. Fitz always turned the offer down - always claimed he had something else to do. It hit a little too close to his relationship with Liv. But now...It was time to turn over a new leaf.

"So we better start thinking of costumes, huh?"

"You mean...you're cool with going this year? I thought you hated Halloween?" A smile spread across Tiffani's face and she stopped, shrugging away from his arm. Standing in front of him, blue eyes wide, she looked almost giddy.

"I did, but I think it's time to start making some new Halloween memories." He returned her smile, winking, before kissing her forehead. She snuggled back into his side, sipping at her own coffee as they began walking once more.

"We're also doing our Trick-or-Treat that Wednesday if you think Olivia would give you the kids. I think they'd love it and the guys definitely love getting visitors."

"Oh yeah. Ath's class had to write letters and visit last year."

"I wish more schools did it! I love that Hillsborough does."

Fitz nodded, taking another sip of his coffee and taking in the sight of the park. Leaves were falling from tree branches and the grass was slowly starting to lose its shine. There were a few kids kicking a soccer ball back and forth around the goals. Squinting, he could just make out one of Athena's friends in the group. It made him wonder why she wasn't at the park, too.

"Sorry," Fitz apologised when his phone began ringing. Pulling his arm off Tiffani's shoulder, he dug for his phone in his pocket. Frowning, he glanced at the name that came across the screen.

"Hello, Ath." Fitz greeted. He'd just dropped her off an hour ago - why was she calling now?

"Daddy?" Her voice cracked. She sounded like she had been crying and Fitz's heart nearly broke. Gritting his teeth - if that Hayden kid had broken up with her...Fitz hadn't been crazy about the thought of his daughter dating, but it didn't mean he was cheering for her to get her heart broken, either.

"What's wrong, Ath?"

"I...Can you come get us?"

"You know I can't do that, Ath. It's your mom's week." Not for the first time since the divorce, Fitz wanted to cry for his children. The things they had been put through…

"Not just us, dad." Athena paused, taking a deep, shaky breath. He could tell that she was trying hard to keep herself together. "Mom, too."

"What?"

"It's Jake. He's drunk and…Mom, she can't…" She finally broke into tears as Fitz felt a fire burning from within. If Jake had touched his children…

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Where are you?"

"In my bedroom with Lio and Seph."

"Stay there. If you have to, call 911."

"I will. Daddy? Hurry."

* * *

**A/N - **Ah. Cliffhanger. *Sorry*.

The next chapter is longer and I'm going to start editing it as soon as I turn in my final paper tonight. I'm also going to try to give a few extra chapters this week since I'm on my one week break between classes (don't ever choose an expedited program).

Next chapter, Jake will finally be dealt with. I'm going to go ahead and give a word of caution for that chapter: there are hints of domestic abuse in that chapter. If that is something that may trigger you, please skip the first bit of the chapter.

Until next time,

G.


	4. Face Down

**Two Hours Earlier…**

"Mom?" Athena poked her head around the doorway, eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkened room. It was three - there was absolutely no reason for the house to be as dark as it was. All the lights were out and the curtains closed.

"She's in their bedroom. They were yelling. Again. How'd you sleep through it?" Helios called from his bedroom. The sound of gunfire and zombie moans accompanied his words.

Crossing the narrow, carpeted hall, Athena glanced into her brother's room. He was pounding furiously at the buttons on the black, clunky controller in his hands. On the screen, a dark-haired man in army fatigues stood atop a roof, brandishing a gun and shooting at the mindless zombies below. Blood and body parts flew everywhere.

"Dad said you weren't allowed to play this."

"Jake said I could."

Athena narrowed her eyes, gaze landing on the black console. "Why is his Xbox in here?"

"He put it in here so he could talk to mom."

"He couldn't talk to mom unless you had his Xbox?" Athena leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

"He said me and Seph had to stay in our rooms."

"Play something else."

"You're not my boss."

Dropping her arms, Athena took a menacing step toward her brother. Pausing his game, Lio turned a spiteful glare on his sister.

"I'll tell dad."

That threat was all it took to have Lio scrambling to change the game. Athena hated using the 'dad' card. It always worked - none of them wanted to disappoint him, but it didn't seem fair to turn him into this sort of boogeyman. Even if it was better than the alternative - than the impending blowout between her dad and Jake.

Satisfied that Lio was playing another, less violent game, Athena continued down the hall. Peeking into Seph's room, she tossed a blanket over the sleeping five year old before continuing into the living room. Crossing the small room, she took a deep breath before knocking on Olivia's bedroom door.

"I told you to stay in - Oh. Hey Athena." In a flash, the angry outburst that Jake had opened the door with turned into a relaxed, eerily pleasant tone with a playful smile that made her skin crawl. Subconsciously, she yanked her grey, oversized cardigan tighter around her body, covering the matching Mickey Mouse shorts and tank-top that she had taken a nap in. She was an early bloomer as her grandmother had called it and, more so than her peers, Jake had seemed to take notice.

"Can I talk to my mom?"

"She's um...she's sleeping."

Athena's gaze slid past Jake's hulking fram and into the dark room. Olivia lay on the bed, chest rising and falling with each breath. The side of her face that Athena could see was already swollen and a deep shade of purple. Just like the last weekend she had spent with her mom. Athena wondered how she was going to hide the damage behind makeup this time. Following Athena's gaze, Jake cleared his throat and stepped out of the doorway so that he could close the door.

"You can talk to me, Ath." He placed his hand on her shoulder, rubbing his thumb across her cardigan. Athena shuddered, taking a step back. Grey eyes fluttering across the room, looking for every possible escape route, she stumbled through her sentence.

"It's okay. I'll t-talk to her l-later."

Turning, she practically ran from the room - putting as much distance between herself and Jake as she could. On the way to her room, she woke Seph, dragging the little girl to her bedroom with her. Groggy and only half-awake, Seph buried herself under the blankets on her sister's bed and snuggled up to a stuffed owl that Athena still slept with.

**20 minutes Before**

Yelling travelled down the hall and into the open doorways at the end. Athena frowned, turning her attention to her little sister. Seph had earbuds in as she watched YouTube videos on Athena's computer. Sighing, Athena took comfort in knowing that most likely, Seph couldn't hear the yelling.

"They're at it again," Helios complained, entering Athena's room.

"I know."

"Why?"

"Because Jake is - Because mom doesn't... It's complicated, Lio." There were so many explanations to Lio's question. Better explanations than what Athena had just given him, but she didn't want to burden him with the truth about their mother's relationship - or the messy, complicated truth about Olivia's feelings for her dad. All of it was the direct result of her mother's inability to own up to her actions and ask for forgiveness. Athena was convinced that they would still be a family if her mom would just admit to her dad the reason for her affair.

"He hit her again, didn't he?"

Athena sighed, lowering her head. She had thought she was the only one who knew about that. Lio wasn't supposed to know - he was too young to know. Heading toward the doorway, she placed a hand on Lio's shoulder.

"Stay with Seph?"

"Yeah."

One glance behind her before she left the room saw Lio climbing into her bed beside Seph and shaking his head when she tried to offer him an earbud. Athena smiled at the sight - she knew Lio, just as she was doing, was trying to protect Seph.

Squaring her shoulders, Athena treaded down the hallway. With each step, the sound of yelling grew louder until it was all she could hear. Grimacing at the sound of skin hitting skin, she had to convince herself to knock on the closed bedroom door. More yelling could be heard before a loud thumping and the sound of shattering glass. And then, silence.

"Athena, what's up?" Jake opened the door with a smile on his face. A small cut was bleeding above his eye and his shirt was ripped, but even from her limited view into the bedroom, Athena could tell that he was in much better shape than her mom.

"Is mom up yet?"

"Um...no." Jake closed the door behind him, leaning back against the wooden frame.

"Are you sure? I thought I heard her."

"Athena," Jake clucked, placing both hands on her shoulders, "You're hearing things. She's taking a nap. But, you know, we could do something while we wait on her to wake up."

A chill went down her spine at his words and the wink that accompanied them. Struggling against his ever tightening grip, she felt relief when Lio's shout of her name caused Jake to let go. With a shaky breath, she scrambled back to her room and slammed the door. Turning the lock, she leaned against the doorframe, chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. Who knows what he would have done if Lio hadn't called her name? For the first time, Athena was well and truly scared. Jake had always been a creep, but tonight...She knew one thing - she had to protect her siblings and herself.

"I'm calling dad."

* * *

Spinning tires, Fitz flew into Jake and Olivia's driveway. Slamming his breaks, his truck had barely stopped before he was jumping out - engine still running. Half-way jogging across the concrete walkway, he stomped up the stairs to the porch and to the front door. Pounding on the door, anger building, he narrowed his gaze when Jake answered.

"Fitz. Is there a reason you're at my home?" Jake held the door open, filling the doorway as he glowered at Fitz.

"Where are my kids, Jakes?"

"Playing video games? Watching tv? I don't know. It's Olivia's week."

"I'm not going to ask again." Fitz clenched his fists, teeth ground together as he spoke. "Where. Are. My. Kids."

"Again: it's not your business on Olivia's week."

Red flashing before his eyes, Fitz reached a hand to grasp the door as Jake attempted to shut it. Forcing it open, causing Jake to stumble backwards, Fitz forced his way into the home. Door slamming against the wall, the two men stood in the foyer. Fitz did a quick scan of his surroundings, as discreetly as he could, before returning Jake's stare. The man was a spineless coward and Fitz wouldn't have put it above Jake to have some hidden weapon nearby. Luckily, there didn't appear to be any.

"My kids are coming home with me."

"They're supposed to be here. Come on, _Sheriff_, you should know better than disregarding what the court ruled." Jake crossed his arms, smirking at the glowering man across from him.

"Since when do you care about rules, Jake?"

"I don't, but _you_ do."

Fitz scoffed, shaking his head. Every fiber of his being was on edge - ready to wipe that smug look off Jake's face. It was a fate the man had escaped for too long. The only thing that stopped him was the sight of a blonde head peaking around the hallway. Meeting Athena's grey gaze, his own eyes softened for a moment.

"Get your things and get in my truck."

Athena nodded, uttering two words before turning back down the hallway.

"Dad, mom."

Turning his attention back to Jake, Fitz asked: "Where's Olivia, Jake?"

"Not your problem."

"You're really getting annoying." Fitz shouldered his way past Jake, attention landing on the slightly ajar bedroom door behind the sofa. Just past the door, he could make out a figure that vaguely resembled Olivia laying on the floor.

"What did you do?" Crossing the room in large strides, he shoved the bedroom door open. The room was a complete disaster zone. Sheets were torn from the bed and laying haphazardly on the floor and mattress. Knick-knacks were strewn across the floor and a few vases were shattered near the wall. Even the flat-screen had a crack across the front.

"What the hell?" Fitz muttered to himself, gaze landing on Olivia. She was on the floor, curled into a ball, with her knees pulled into her chest. The entire left side of her face was swollen and bruised, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead. Taking a deep breath, he swirled around to face Jake. The idiot had balls for following him into the room.

"You pathetic, piece of -"

"This isn't any of your business, Fitz. Leave."

"Except that she's the mother of my children. So it is _my _business."

"Leave." Jake took a step closer, finger pointed at Fitz's chest.

"Make me. Or are you too afraid? I'm not some defenceless woman who can't fight back?" Fitz tilted his head, flexing his arms as he did so.

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be." Without another word, Fitz lashed out, landing a right-hook square on Jake's cheek. Landing punch after punch, he didn't stop until the man was lying on the floor as unconscious as Olivia. Flexing his now bruised fingers, he reached for the cellphone in his pocket and called the only person he could trust.

"Stephen," Fitz was relieved when his friend answered his call, "I need you to meet me at Olivia's. In uniform and with your cruiser.

Yeah. Yeah

Thanks, man."

Putting his phone back in his pocket and kneeling beside Olivia, Fitz did a quick check - making sure that she appeared stable enough to move. A low groan left her lips when he lifted her into his arms. Stepping over Jake, he carried her out of the room. On the porch, he met Athena.

"Seph and Lio are in the truck. I've already packed our bags and put them in there, too. Is she okay?"

"I think she'll be okay. Get the passenger door for me, will ya?"

Athena nodded, leading her father out to the truck and opening the yellow door for him. Carefully, he placed Olivia in the passenger seat and gently pulled the seatbelt around her. Shutting the door, he turned to face Athena.

"I'm not going to lie to you about what happened -"

"Good, because I already know."

"You do?"

"I've known for weeks, dad and you can yell at me about it later. We need to -"

"Pack some things for your mom. Come on."

Together, they packed as much as they could for Olivia while Athena recounted the story from earlier for Fitz. After hearing about the passes Jake had made toward his daughter, Fitz was sure to "accidentally" jab his boot into the man's ribs a few times before following Athena pack out to the truck. As they were loading Olivia's things into the back, Stephen came flying into the driveway.

"I got here as soon as I - What the hell happened to Olivia?" Stephen peered into the truck, his brows furrowing.

"Get in, Ath. We'll be done in a few minutes." Fitz waited until Athena had gotten into the back of the truck before stomping back up the porch steps, gesturing toward Stephen.

"Jake happened."

"So he -"

"He's a sorry piece of shit. We _knew_ that." Fitz led Stephen threw the house and to the bedroom where Jake was still laying on the floor.

"And I'm guessing you happened to him."

"Self-defence."

"Witnesses?"

"Athena. Even if Olivia isn't willing to speak against him - Athena will."

"Anything else?"

"Just take him in. I'll talk to you later." Shaking his head as Stephen hauled a grumbling Jake to his feet and cuffed him, Fitz followed the two from the room. Once Jake was secured in the back of the cruiser and the door had been shut in his face, Stephen turned to Fitz.

"What are you going to do about Olivia?"

"I don't know, yet. But I can't leave her here. I can't leave her with him. She's going to have to spend the night with me and we'll go from there." Glancing back toward his truck, Fitz made eye-contact with Athena. She seemed to be questioning why they weren't leaving yet.

"Call me after everything's taken care of." Fitz waved at Stephen, heading toward his truck. Sighing, his gaze fell on Olivia. What kind of mess had they gotten themselves into?

* * *

**A/N - **And Jake is gone. He'll still be mentioned occasionally, but his actual physical appearances are finished. There was a lot of damage done in this chapter and not just to Olivia. That definitely has an impact on the rest of the story.

Until next time,

Gabi


	5. It's A Long Way Out

"What do you have going on at school tomorrow?" Fitz stood in the doorway of Athena's room, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her move around, unpacking her suitcase.

"Not much. We're supposed to be watching some play the freshmen are doing."

A chuckle rumbled low in his chest at her eye roll. His daughter was a critic. She loved her theatre, though. It was killing her that she couldn't participate in drama until she was in high school.

"You wouldn't be opposed to skipping it, then?"

Athena stopped what she was doing, allowing a sweatshirt to fall from her hands and onto her bed. Slowly, she spun around to look at her dad. Raising a brow and tilting her head, a look of surprise crossed her face.

"Did...Did my _father _just asked me if I want to skip school?"

"I supposed I did," Fitz laughed. "But only if you aren't going to be missing any tests or anything important."

"Not tomorrow," Athena shrugged, grabbing her fallen sweatshirt and turning toward her closet. "I do have a Latin test Friday though just in case you're planning on making this offer again."

"That's not going to happen again. But we need to talk."

"And Seph and Lio don't need to hear it."

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're only twelve."

Taking a step backward out of her closet and contorting her face into a smirk, she shot back with: "Look at who my parents are. It's kind of in my genes to be smart and perceptive."

"If you say so, kid." Fitz dropped his arms, turning around. On his way out, he thought he heard Athena whisper:

"Just hopefully _crazy _isn't hereditary."

Stopping at Lio's room, Fitz poked his head in to find his son sitting on his bed with a book in his lap. Pushing the door open just a crack, he scanned the title of the book Lio held. _Goosebumps. _

"Twenty minutes and then lights out."

Raising his eyes from his book, Lio nodded.

"Okay. Hey dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Is mom going to be okay?"

Sighing, Fitz crossed the room to sit on the edge of Lio's bed. Meeting his son's blue gaze, Fitz frowned. He already suspected that Athena knew a great deal more than she was saying about what had happened between Olivia and Jake. He was hoping, though, that Lio and Seph didn't know.

"I think she is. Lio, what do you know about what happened?"

"I just know that mom got hurt. Ath wouldn't tell me what happened. She made me and Seph stay in her room."

Fitz thanked the heavens for his daughter. She had gone above and beyond in her efforts to protect her siblings. He only hoped that hadn't cost her in the process. If it had...Not even a jail cell would protect Jake. That bastard.

"She'll be fine, Lio." He leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Lio's forehead before standing. Ruffling the kid's hair, he said, "I'll be back in twenty."

Continuing down the hall, he made sure Seph had a blanket tossed over her and her night light was turned on. If she woke up in the middle of the night to a dark room, the whole house would be awakened to her screaming. She had been easy to get in bed on time - always so eager for school. Fitz knew he had better enjoy that while it lasted. At the end of the hallway, he froze as he witnessed Olivia wrapped tightly in a blanket with her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. Her eyes were vacant as they stared straight ahead at some spot on the wall across the room.

"Liv?" Fitz questioned, edging into the darkened room.

"I know we need to talk about it, Fitz, but right now...I - I…" Her voice cracked and a tear fell from her non-swollen eye. She moved a finger to her cheek, swiping at her tear as she balanced her warm mug on her knee with the aid of her left hand. Swallowing, she tried speaking once more. "I'll be out of your hair in the morning. I...think it's best if the kids stay with you for now."

"No."

Slowly, she turned her gaze on him. His heart hurt at the sight of her. Her left eye was so swollen she couldn't even open it and her cheek was still puffy. There was no way she was going to be able to go to work tomorrow.

"No?"

"Stay here, Liv. It's your week to have the kids and they're worried about you. It won't help them if you disappear. And, despite what you want to believe, I'm not some evil guy who is going to kick you out on your ass when you're at your lowest. That's not who I am."

"I know that isn't who you are."

"Hmm." Glancing at the clock, fighting the urge to bring up the same arguments from before, he extended an olive branch. "You can take the guest room. I think Athena put your things in there earlier."

Turning around, preparing to check up on Lio, Fitz paused at Olivia's words.

"You don't have to be so nice to me. We both know I don't deserve it."

"I do. We both know that's who I am."

* * *

"I'm not comfortable with this." Tiffani sat on the corner of Fitz's bed, her arms crossed over her teal scrub top. She was frowning - had been frowning since the moment she'd learned that Olivia was asleep in the guest room down the hall.

"He beat her, Tif. I couldn't leave her in that situation."

"She made her bed," Tiffani argued, sighing and leaning back on her elbows.

"What message would it have sent to my children if I had left her? She's their mother. She's part of who they are. If I had left her, that would have made them think that I don't believe a part of them is worth saving. It would have said, to my son and my daughters, that there are no consequences to treating a woman that way. My children will _never _believe that is okay." Fitz leaned heavily against the closed door, hands on his knees. This argument was tiring and, truth be told, his heart just wasn't in it. It had come as a surprise when Tiffani had first shown up after her shift and in a rather sour mood once she'd learned that Olivia was there. Even with his explanations, she hadn't relented. It was their first fight. Every other thing they had agreed upon without question. But this...Fitz couldn't understand how anyone wouldn't be supportive of helping a person in need.

"Then you help her. It doesn't mean that you move her into your house."

"It does if that is what she needs at the moment." Fitz lifted his head, meeting Tiffani's flashing eyes. He just wanted the argument to end. As far as he was concerned, it was a moot point. There was absolutely no reason for them to even be having this discussion.

"I'm going home. I can't stay here knowing that she's just down the hall." Tiffani stood from the bed, straightening her top. Running a hand through her hair, she frowned as she looked around for her shoes. Finding the black Nike's by the doorway, she slowly slipped them onto her feet and tied them. Fitz knew she was fishing for an apology - taking her time to see if he would change his mind. This was one fight, though, that he wasn't backing down from. His children's feelings were as much at stake, if not more, than anyone else's in the picture and he would do everything in his power to make sure that they made it out okay.

"I'll call you." She left without a kiss or a hug, leaving Fitz shaking his head as he locked the door behind her before trudging back to his room. Flipping the lights off and crawling into his bed, he laid awake long past his normal bedtime - thoughts of his actions and their implications swirling through his mind.

* * *

"They were arguing almost from the moment they moved in together." Athena sat across from Fitz at the round table in her grandparents' kitchen. Sun streamed through the windows that covered the walls on either side of the breakfast nook. Grandma Eleanor stood in front of the stove, bacon sizzling in one of the frying pans as she flipped an egg. Fitz had brought them there after dropping Lio and Seph off at school - afraid that Olivia would overhear their conversation if they returned to his home.

"Why stay?" Fitz muttered to himself.

"That girl has never…" Eleanor started, stopping herself mid-sentence as her gaze landed on Athena. Taking a breath, she asked the pre-teen. "How do you want your egg?"

"Sunny side up, please." Athena gave her grandmother a grin. "And she stayed because she has problems. There is something wrong with her."

"Athena!"

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful, dad." Athena met his gaze, a fire burning in her own. "There really _is _something wrong with her. Like she needs help wrong. It's like sometimes she's her normal self and sometimes she's this happy go lucky person who doesn't get mad at _anything_ and she runs around like she's on freaking speed. And sometimes she stays in her bed for _days_. It makes zero sense. And she blames herself as much as she does Jake for cheating -"

"Wait. She blames Jake for cheating? Even though - Nope. Nevermind." Fitz held his hands before his body, palms out, as he shook his head. He wasn't going down that rabbit hole in front of Athena. Although from the looks of it, the girl wasn't going to give him a choice.

"Yeah she blames Jake. I don't know why, but I've heard her tell him that he used her situation to his advantage and every time mom mentioned seeing somebody he would stop her."

"Seeing somebody?"

"Like a doctor."

Sighing, Fitz held his head in his hands as he stared down at the grey wood of the table.

"I don't know, Ath. The mood thing, though - your mom has always been that way. I don't have an explanation for it. It's just who she is."

"It isn't normal."

"What is normal?" Eleanor questioned as she sat a plate before Athena, winking at the girl. "What would you like to drink, my dear?"

"Orange juice. Thanks, mamaw."

"Philosophy this early, mom?" Fitz stood from his seat, moving toward the island and grabbing the plate with his egg on it before moving toward the other food she had prepared.

"It's an acceptable question, Fitzgerald." Eleanor sat a tall, clear glass of orange juice in front of Athena. "And one that Athena _should _consider."

"No. I get it," Athena nodded, cutting into her egg. "Normality is a man-made construct. What may be normal for one culture is not necessarily normal for another. Actually, a lot of times, even the same culture disagrees on _normal_. I mean, there are people that would say our family isn't normal."

"Smart. Just like her grandmother." Eleanor smirked, fixing her own plate.

"However," Athena continued around a bite of her food, "the constraints of normality within a society do exist for a reason. And we can use those constraints as a means of determining when an individual needs aid."

"Remind me again why she is still attending public school." Eleanor sat her plate on the table, taking the seat across from her granddaughter.

"Mom."

"I'm taking all AP classes next year. Oh and Mrs. Trevors asked me to try out for the academic team."

"You're going to have your hands full."

"I think I'll be fine."

"Of course you will," Eleanor smiled, "You're a Grant."

* * *

"I want Athena to start seeing a therapist."

Olivia lifted her head from its position amongst the throw pillows on the sofa. A thin layer of crust coated her lashes along her left eye and her right eye was bloodshot. She didn't appear to have gotten much sleep. If Fitz had to guess, the pain from her injuries had probably kept her up most of the night.

"Why are you telling me?"

"Because you're her mom?" He answered, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his feet. "Because you should be included in any and all decisions made about our children."

"I'm the reason she needs to see one."

Fitz sighed, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. He wasn't used to Olivia feeling sorry for herself. It was new and, truth be told, didn't sit well on her.

"You should probably see one, too, Liv."

The low chuckle that followed his statement took him by surprise. Yelling, telling him off for the suggestion was something he had suspected. Not this nearly hysterical laughter.

"Do you know how many times I _tried_, Fitz? Even when we were together, I went to a therapist. Guess what? He didn't help. Told me to go see my doctor or a psychiatrist. They gave me medicine and _everything _was so, so much worse. I'm not seeing a therapist. I'm not seeing a doctor. The last time I did, it cost me everything."

* * *

**A/N - **Things are starting to move forward now. I mentioned on Twitter that it's an uphill battle from here. The next few chapters start to delve into the past and what happened to lead Fitz and Olivia to this stage. Especially Olivia. Athena's offered some insight although Fitz doesn't seem to know just how to handle the information. By the way, his and Athena's scenes were some of my favourites to write. I loved the idea of Fitz having an unbreakable, special bond with his oldest.

Until next time,

Gabi


	6. Devil in the Wishing Well

"I've already asked for his resignation."

Fitz leaned heavily back into his desk chair, feet propped upon the desk and arms behind his head. A frown marred his face as he contemplated what he had just been told.

"You're giving him the option?"

"Everyone will know what happened soon enough."

"Which is why you should be firing him. He resigns and that gives him the chance to apply elsewhere -"

"_If _he isn't convicted. From what I've heard, it's already a done deal. Heard Judge Veerman's already made up his mind."

"You should see her, Eddie."

"Yeah. Susanna said she didn't look good. Of course, I didn't just say that. Patient-doctor confidentiality and all that."

"I keep running it over in my mind. Trying to figure out why the hell she would've stayed." Fitz sighed, dropping his feet from the desk and leaning forward in his chair, arms resting on the wooden surface. Unbidden, his gaze drifted to the framed photo of his three kids that sat on the corner.

"About that…" The chief brought a hand to the nape of his neck, rubbing at his reddened skin, "You should ask her about two years ago, Fitz. I know Susanna still feels guilty as hell about that."

"She said something about seeing a doctor two years ago and it ruining her life."

"That's an understatement." Eddie shrugged, reaching for his hat from the chair in front of Fitz's desk. Fitting the hat atop his head, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"I'll call you if I hear anything about Jake's case," Fitz offered, standing from his chair. Not moving from behind the desk, he reached his arm across, offering his hand to Eddie. The two shook before the other man left.

Fitz tried to do some work. He really did. No matter how he forced himself to stare at that computer screen, though, he couldn't seem to get anything accomplished. By lunch time, he was still staring at the same screen he'd been staring at for hours. Leaning back and stretching, he frowned when his phone began ringing. What now?

"Hello?"

"You don't sound all that happy." Tiffani's voice came across the line a bit strained.

"Work is kicking my ass."

"Happens to the best of us," she laughed, "I wanted to apologise."

"Apologise?"

"For being a complete bitch. It was a hard day for you and your kids. You had to do what you thought was best for them."

Rubbing the nape of his neck, Fitz sighed. "Thanks for the apology, but I hope you realise that isn't going to make me change my mind about Olivia staying with me."

"And it shouldn't. You should put your kids first."

"Why the change of heart?" They had always been frank with one another. After the way both their past relationships had ended, they had come to an agreement to say what they were thinking - even if it might make the other mad. It was the best way to avoid potential blowouts.

"I saw the light," she laughed, "I was nervous and I overreacted. The two of you have a history, Fitz. Any woman in my position would feel threatened when her boyfriend moves his ex-wife into his house."

"She's not a threat, Tif. _That_ isn't going to happen between us. I won't go down that road again."

"A girl can still worry. But I'm going to try to overlook that worry while she decides what she's going to do."

"That could be a while. The house is Jake's and I have a feeling violence wasn't the only means he used to control her."

"I trust you."

"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" Fitz frowned. She made it sound like he had given her a reason _not _to trust him. That didn't sit well with him.

"That's not what I meant. It's -"

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" He was quick to end the conversation. Right now, Tiffani's feelings about Olivia were just another complication that he didn't need.

"Yeah. I think, though, that I'm going to spend the next few days at my place. It's best for all of us."

"Yeah."

* * *

"Daddy! Can I hide in the black building?" Seph came running up to Fitz's truck as he was getting out. Her cheeks were red, curly hair splaying out from beneath the hood of her black jacket.

"What?" Fitz slammed his truck door, staring down at the little girl who looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Me and Lio are playing hide and seek. Can I hide in the black building?"

Fitz's gaze drifted to the building just behind the house, nestled in the corner of the fence.

"I don't know if there's really room in there to hide, honey."

"I can hide."

"Okay, but don't turn on the light. There's too much hay in there right now and it could start a fire."

He watched as Seph ran off in the direction of the building, shaking his head. It wasn't long before Lio rounded the house, shouting his sister's name. Chuckling, Fitz headed toward the walkway, stopping to pick the cat up on the way. Cradling the black and white furball in his arms, he entered the house.

"I _knew _he went out when Seph did," Athena sighed, taking the cat from her father's arms and disappearing into the kitchen with him.

"Where's your mom?" Fitz hung his coat on the coatrack before following Athena into the kitchen. His eyes fell on Olivia sitting at the kitchen table behind her laptop.

"I'm going back to work tomorrow."

"With the - Are you sure?" Fitz rested his hands on the marble countertop of the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Yes. Even with my face looking like this," Olivia sighed, fingers stilling against her keyboard and eyes peeking over the top of the laptop. "I have to work. I'm going to go insane if I don't."

"Yeah. _That's _the reason," Athena mumbled under her breath, appearing beside her father and earning a steely glare from him.

"Athena," Fitz warned below his breath, shaking his head.

"Sorry," she muttered, zipping her coat. "Are we going or not?"

"Going - oh." Fitz nodded. He'd forgotten that Athena had an appointment. He had just been happy to get her in to see a therapist so soon - he'd forgotten to put the appointment on his calender.

"Do you mind watching -"

"They're my kids, Fitz. You don't even have to ask."

Sighing, he led Athena toward the door. Olivia didn't have to be so rude about it - even if they were her kids.

* * *

"You must be Athena."

"And you must be Doctor…" Athena stood before the older woman, hand outstretched to meet hers.

"Mary Anne."

"Right." Athena released the doctor's hand before sitting in the chair, watching as the woman took the seat directly across from her.

"Your father mentioned that he and your mother are divorced."

"That tends to happen when your mom's a cheater." Athena shrugged, leaning back against the thick cushion of the chair she was sitting in.

"So your mom cheated on your dad?"

"Uh-huh."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I was there? Because she admits to it?"

"You were there?" The grey-headed woman scribbled notes across the legal pad in her lap and Athena frowned, grey eyes flashing.

"We were home early because I got sick at school. My mom wasn't answering her phone so they called my dad. He took me home."

"I see. And then what happened?"

"And then they got a divorce, my mom moved in with Jake." Athena shuddered as she said the name.

"You seem uncomfortable saying his name."

"Why wouldn't I be uncomfortable?" Athena blew a blonde strand of hair from her eyes. "He beat my mom and he made passes at me."

"He made passes at you?"

"He was always trying to get me to do things with him. Alone. Like shopping or dinner. And the way he _looked _at me. It made me feel...naked."

"Did he ever -"

"No. God no. My dad definitely would have kicked his ass. Well sooner than he did."

"I''m sorry?"

"Yeah don't worry about that." Athena waved her hand, shaking her head. "Anyway, he never actually did anything to me. If he'd gotten the chance, I definitely believe he would have, but he never got the chance."

"I see." Mary Anne hummed, scribbling more notes across her notepad. "You're close with your dad?"

"Yeah. My dad's great. He's...I know that anything I need, he'll be there."

"And your mom?"

"Not so much."

"Why do you think that is? Or why is that?"

"I don't know," Athena snorted. The question was ridiculous. She couldn't very well diagnose her mother or explain why she did the things she did. All Athena could do was guess.

"Just a guess."

"She's a workaholic. Sometimes. And when she isn't ridiculously focused on work, she's ridiculously depressing."

"How so?"

"Ya know: stays in bed. Doesn't really do anything."

"Has she ever seen anyone?"

"I don't know." Athena sighed. There was just so much about her life at the moment that she really didn't have an answer for.

Sometimes she wondered if she ever would.

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter will have a few flashbacks explaining how Olitz have gotten to this point. The chapter's a bit longer and so it's taking me longer to edit as I transfer it to my computer. I'm almost finished editing, though, so look for it in the next few days.

Until next time,

G. xx


	7. Emotional Survival

"_I think it would help. Athena likes it." _

Sitting in the overstuffed chair, panic began to sit in and Olivia regretted allowing Fitz to talk her into this. No. _Guilt _her into this. She didn't need a therapist. Sure things had hit a rough bump, but it didn't necessarily mean they were bad. Okay. The thing with Jake was bad, but that was over. Taken care of - a non-issue now. Fuck why was she here? This was pointless. Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Olivia made to stand.

"Sorry I'm late."

The door on the far side swung open to reveal a sharply dressed, surprisingly handsome middle-aged man. His warm, earthy eyes settled on Olivia, softening as he took her in. It was obvious that she had been on the verge of fleeing. Half-raised out of her seat and eyes glued to the door - looking for the quickest exit.

"That's okay. I was actually about to leave." She frowned as he leaned against the doorframe, filling the space with his broad, muscular shoulders. Therapists weren't supposed to look this good, were they?

"Leaving?" He tilted his head to the side and raised a thick, bushy eyebrow. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Leaving. Not staying here. It isn't necessary."

"Ah." He cleared his throat, rubbing a hand across the dark stubble over his chin. "And why do you no longer feel it necessary to be here?"

Olivia frowned, sitting heavily back in the beige chair, sinking into the thick cushions. Resting her head against the back of the seat, she stared up at the white ceiling - sighing in exasperation. She really didn't need to be here. Why couldn't he see that?

"I feel fine. There's no reason for me to be here."

"Ah." He made that sound again and, as attractive as she had initially found him to be, that sound was grating on her nerves. It was almost patronising. Pushing away from the doorframe, he closed the door behind him and moved into the room. Stopping at the desk in the corner, he grabbed a yellow legal pad and a pen turning to sit in the chair near the desk.

"You can feel fine and still need to talk. That's why I'm here. To talk."

She frowned at that. A million thoughts were racing through her head - tumbling over one another in their mad dash to be the one at the forefront of her mind. None of them would succeed, though. Ever since the incident with Jake, since moving into Fitz's home for the time being, she had been self-medicating. Her drug of choice? Caffeine. She had long ago discovered that when she started to head down that slippery slope of depression - of less energy and foggy thoughts, energy drink after energy drink would pull her back.

"I don't have anything to talk about." She shrugged, hands coming to rest on the arms of the chair as her eyes darted from the green potted plants in the corner of the room and the horse statues littered on the desk and floor. What was with this guy's obsession with horses?

"Not your romantic relationship? The start. The end. The middle? Or we could talk about your kids." He lifted his leg, resting his ankle against his knee. The blue fabric of his suit shifted up a few inches revealing blue and brown diamond patterned socks.

"My kids?" She was always open to talking about them.

"Sure. How is your relationship with them?"

Shaking her head, a wistful smile spread across her lips. "I'm still Seph's world. _She _sees me as a good mom —"

"And are you?"

Olivia didn't like the way he raised one brow, his eyes glinting almost as if he were challenging her. Of course she was a good mom! She had been everything for those kids. Their whole world. It was impossible for her to be anything other than a good mother.

"Yes."

He nodded, rolling his hand in a gesture for her to continue speaking. Olivia had to fight the urge to roll her eyes in his direction - what was the point of her interrupting her with such a stupid question?

"Lio and I have a good relationship. He'd rather be playing video games or running around outside but I've accepted that. He's a normal seven year old boy. Athena…"

"Athena?"

She was sure if he was probing her to continue or questioning her daughter's name. Olivia almost wished it were the latter. Talking about her name choices would be more fun than this.

"She's almost a teenager. Normal for us to have rough spots." She shrugged off the arguments and the name-calling. Shrugged off Athena's many, many hints that she was crazy. She wasn't crazy. Sitting in therapy, discussing her non-existent problems, she just _knew_ that she wasn't crazy.

"What kind of rough spots?"

"She didn't like my ex —"

"Husband or boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend. She adores my ex-husband. Ath is a daddy's girl." Olivia watched as he scribbled across his paper, his silver pen glinting as the streaks of light floating through the blinds shone across him.

"Why didn't she like your ex-boyfriend?"

"You know what happened." When she had first made the appointment, they had had a brief conversation about the issues in her life - about the issues that might warrant therapy. She'd told him everything about Jake and the events leading to her moving in with Fitz. At least until she found a place of her own.

"We can talk about something else if you aren't ready to speak about that just yet." He rested his hands on his legal pad, interlacing his fingers as his gaze focused on her.

"Please."

"Your kids' names." He cleared his throat, settling back against his chair, "They're unusual."

"I majored in Classics. I teach Classical Studies at IU."

"That's impressive."

"I found out I was pregnant with Athena when I was doing an excavation in Athens. The ancient world thought names were powerful. Even some psychologists now say that our names influence how we are perceived and our personalities. I wanted my child to have a powerful name. Athens was where I first learned that she even existed. What better name to give her than that of the goddess of wisdom? Of Athens' patron?"

The therapist nodded, lifting his hand to scribble on his paper once more before meeting Olivia's gaze.

"Do you believe her name has influenced her?"

"She's smart, beautiful, and strong. I can't say if her name was a factor, but she has certainly lived up to it."

"And how does Athena feel about this perception of living up to a name?"

"We don't tell her she's lived up to her name. We tell her we're proud of her - that we think she's bright."

"I see. When you say we —"

"My ex-husband and myself. His parents, too."

"What about your parents?"

Olivia sighed, raising her gaze to stare directly into his. "I don't know my father. He might be dead. He might be living right down the street. I don't know."

"And your mother?"

"Abandoned me. I was seven when she dropped me off at my grandmother's and promised she would return."

"Your grandmother raised you?"

"Yes." Olivia shook her head, unhappy with this sudden turn of questions. She didn't talk about her family. Her grandmother had been a saint - raising her and doing everything she could to make sure that Olivia's dreams came true. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't tell Olivia she was going to do great things. When no one else did, her grandmother had believed in her. But now she was gone. "She died a year before Athena was born. Cancer."

"Was this when you began your —"

"If the next word out of your mouth is affair, I'm leaving."

"Why does that make you angry?"

Olivia's eyes flashed and she huffed, nails digging into the soft cloth of the chair. "My grandmother is not the reason I had an affair. It was after Seph was born."

"What did make you decide to have an affair?"

"Really?" Olivia tilted her head, eyes widening. This was where he was going to go with his line of questioning? To her affair?

"If you'd rather not talk about —"

"It wasn't my fault."

"And why is that?" God his head tilt was starting to get annoying.

"Fitz and I had been arguing. He was working a lot - chasing that nod for Sheriff. I hardly ever saw him. It felt like I was doing everything alone. I was supposed to be writing an article for work, but I was having trouble meeting deadlines. Couldn't motivate myself to actually do the research. I couldn't hardly convince myself to get out of bed. I was always so damn tired and my memory? I couldn't remember anything. I went to see one of our friends who is a doctor. She said I was depressed. Prescribed Prozac —"

"And that didn't help the depression?"

"It helped the depression a little _too _well."

* * *

_**3 Years Ago; Halloween Weekend**_

_Olivia stared at the open bottle of pills in her hand. She couldn't imagine how she had managed to live without the small, blue/green pills. They had completely revolutionised her world. It was hard to believe that just three weeks ago she had barely been dragging her butt out of bed let alone working on that article she had promised the chair of her department. Dumping a pill into her hand and twisting the white, child-lock cap back onto the bottle before tossing it into her purse, Olivia laughed. Popping the pill into her mouth and swallowing, with the help of a mouthful of her water, she couldn't imagine how those problems had ever impacted her to begin with. They were so miniscule - so non-existent. Why had she ever felt like that? _

_Shaking her head, setting the glass on the counter, she made her way to her laptop in her office. Flipping the baby monitor on, she spared a glance toward Seph's sleeping form. The three year old would be out for the next hour or so. Plenty of time to finish that article. Olivia sat in the chair at her desk, opening her laptop and bringing the blank document she had been working in for weeks now to the forefront of her screen. _

"_Weeks and I haven't written anything. How ridiculous," she chuckled. And it was. There was nothing holding her back. She felt like a million thoughts were racing through her mind. A million wonderful, genius thoughts. When she was finished with this article, she would become the foremost expert in her field. She just knew it. _

_Minutes ticked by in a blur as her fingers flew across her keyboard. Her masterpiece was coming together perfectly. At this point, she knew that there was absolutely __**nothing**_ _that could stop her. By the time Fitz had returned home with the older two, she had finished her article, cleaned the house, fixed dinner, and organised Seph's room. Everything was going her way. It almost made her wish she had visited Susanna sooner. _

"_I'm taking the kids to my mom and dad's. I'll be back soon." _

"_Don't take long!" Olivia poked her head through the doorway of her bedroom, winking in Fitz's direction as he ushered their three munchkins out the door. As the door swung shut behind the Athena, Olivia returned to her room. Her hair bounced as she walked - the loosely done curls had taken what felt like forever to accomplish in her thick hair. She was happy with the final product, though. _

_Allowing the white, cotton towel to fall from her body, Olivia took a step toward her dresser. Her eyes fell on the roll of breast tape that lay on the wooden surface. She was a little nervous about using the tape. It was new to her, but her costume wouldn't allow her to wear a bra. It couldn't be that hard, right? Besides, __**she **__was the one doing it. There was no way she would screw it up. She was just pulling a black thong up her legs, the breast tape having taken a bit longer than she had anticipated, when Fitz entered the room. _

"_That's a sight for sore eyes." Fitz's baritone voice sent a shiver down her spine and, involuntarily, she rubbed her thighs together. She was always horny anymore. Maybe it was a side-effect of that medication. Either way, she wasn't about to complain. _

"_So are you." Olivia whirled around, watching her husband as he slowly undressed until he was standing in nothing more than his blue boxers and a pair of black socks. Glancing at the alarm clock on her nightstand, she licked her lips. They could be a few minutes late, couldn't they? It was just a silly costume party after all. _

"_Like what you see?" He raised a brow, grinning at her as she inched forward. There was now an uncomfortable throbbing between her legs. But she would worry about that later. They couldn't be __**too **__late. Just a little. _

"_I definitely like what I see," she all but purred, stopping before him and raising herself on her tip-toes, calf muscles stretching so she could place a kiss on his lips. She pulled away when he attempted to deepen the kiss, shaking her head as she dropped to her knees. _

"_I don't think so," she tsked, fingers hooking inside the band of his cotton boxers. Tugging, she pulled them down his muscular thighs, over his knees, and to a puddle at his ankles. Suddenly she was eye-level with his semi-hard cock. _

"_Do we have time?" _

_She tilted her head back, brown eyes meeting blue, and winked. _

"_We always have time." _

_Returning her gaze to his dick, she grasped his length with her hand, gently wrapping her slender fingers around him. Licking her lips once more, she leaned forward to feather kisses across the velvety-smooth skin in her hand. She didn't have to look at him to know that he had tilted his head back and closed his eyes the moment she slid her mouth over his sensitive head - her tongue swirling around his flesh as a moan fell from his lips. _

_Wrapping her hands around his outer thighs, she raised her eyes - searching for his. Only when he opened his own eyes, bending his head to meet her gaze, did she slowly move her head forward, sheathing him inch by tortuous inch. He groaned when he hit the back of her throat, her dark eyes watering before she pulled away. Strings of saliva dangled between her lips and his dick as he slid out of her mouth with a pop. _

"_Don't mess up my hair," she warned. It had taken too long to get those curls just right. She didn't wait for a response, taking him back in her mouth and bobbing her head - back and forth. Back and forth. Every so often she would take him as far as she could, eyes watering and chest heaving as she stayed perfectly still before pulling back - breathing heavily. Here and there she would run her tongue along the underside of his shaft, lapping at the sensitive skin and enjoying the way he shuddered. _

_He was a complete mess. Groans and his harsh breathing filled the room. His hands were everywhere - her shoulders, her breasts, her back. But he was avoiding her hair. At least he listened. Olivia knew her hair was one of his favourite things and, if she hadn't said anything, he would be using it to guide her. What could she say? Fitz liked to be in control when she was blowing him._

"_Babe, I'm close." _

_She nodded, taking him as far as she could and swallowing. __**That **__always pushed him over the age and, just like every time before, he tumbled off that cliff. _

"_Fuck, Liv," he ground out between clenched teeth as he shot his hot cum down her throat. Pulling back, making a show of swallowing for him, Olivia smiled - eyes hooded. _

"_We'll finish when we get home," she winked, standing and stretching before moving toward the bed - slipping into her black and purple saloon dress as Fitz hastily dressed in what she had dubbed his "Wyatt Earp" costume. _

_But they never did get to finish because, just like every other time they were supposed to be enjoying each other's company - taking a day for __**themselves**__, Fitz had been called away for work. And so Olivia had had to end the evening with their friends - drinking with Mellie and making small talk with Jake. Like always. _

* * *

"You were lonely." It wasn't a question. The observation snapped Olivia out of her reminiscing and she felt her cheeks begin to redden. Why had she told that story to her therapist? That was...embarrassing.

"Not lonely," she clarified, sitting forward in her chair. "Horny."

"Was that normal?"

"After I started taking my medication, it was."

"How would you describe your sex life with your ex-husband at that time?"

"He was rarely home, but it was still great. Regular."

"Would you say it wasn't enough?"

"It wasn't. We could have just had sex and I was still horny." This conversation was...weird. Olivia had no other words for the direction they had suddenly gone.

"I see. And you didn't have this feeling prior to taking the medication, correct?"

"I'd had it before but not that intense. Or that long."

"Long?"

"I stopped taking that medicine six months ago. That mood wasn't normal. Nothing about that was normal. And it was because of that medicine." She looked at the man before her, waiting for him to contradict her. Everyone else did. She had gone to see a doctor and the doctor had decided that she needed that medicine. Had diagnosed her. How could the medicine have caused Olivia's affair? How could it have changed her that much? Those were the questions she was used to being asked. Questions she had no logical responses for.

"I have my suspicions, Olivia. Suspicions I am not comfortable sharing quite just yet." He laid his pen on his notepad before stretching his arm out, laying the whole thing on his desk. Standing, he stretched his arms before opening a small, black book that now lay beside his legal pad. "I'd like to see you again, if that's okay with you."

"When?"

"Next Tuesday? Same time? I would also like to set up an appointment with a psychiatrist." He dug around on his desk, producing a small, white card that he held out to her. "Dr. Freeland and I have worked together quite a few times. She is a fantastic psychiatrist and she understands the necessity of working _together_ for the sake of your treatment."

"I'll think about it." That was all she was going to concede. She didn't need another doctor screwing with her life.

"Please do."

* * *

_**A/N - **_So, some of you have guessed it and I think it's pretty obvious in this chapter (even if it hasn't explicitly been said just yet). Olivia is bipolar.

I've had a few reviewers wonder how she managed to slip through the cracks and, well, that's quite easy with this disorder. Very few people know what Bipolar Disorder actually is (a lot of people still believe it is cycling from one mood to another in the span of minutes to hours which isn't true), most physicians and even psychologists originally diagnose depression because it isn't normal for someone in a manic episode or even a normal mood state to seek treatment, and unless your family is looking at the whole picture - it's hard for them to even realise that it is serious enough to seek treatment. It's especially hard if there has never been a true manic episode (think of hypomania as high-functioning Bipolar - there's still a lot of bad side effects but you can at least function in daily life). And Olivia didn't have a true manic episode until she was prescribed antidepressants which, unfortunately, is a sad reality with this illness.

We've only just begun to scratch the surface of the past and there is still a long journey ahead for the _whole _family as they heal and learn to cope with past wounds.

Until next time,

Gabi


	8. Fear is the Heart of Love

"Damnit."

Fitz paused outside his bedroom door, Olivia's voice travelling up the stairs. It made him happy the kids were at school. As another string of curse words floated up the staircase, Fitz walked over to the railing and glanced down. He could just make out Olivia standing in the living room, phone in her hand and an outraged look on her face. Sighing and running a hand through his thick locks, Fitz padded down the stairs.

"What's wrong?" He asked once he was standing behind her, arms folded over his chest.

Twirling around, Olivia's face was scrunched in confusion. She glanced at her phone, locking it and sticking it in her back pocket before speaking.

"Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I work tomorrow night." He tried to keep his voice level. She knew his work schedule - it hadn't changed in years.

He held his ground, eyeing her as he waited for her to speak. He knew her well enough to expect a mad dash for the exit rather than giving voice to what was bothering her. So when she spoke; her head lowered, gaze trained on the floor, and voice barely audible, he was surprised.

"The SUV was in Jake's name and he took everything out of my account."

Taking a deep breath, Fitz frowned. He _hated _Jake and, to some extent, still harboured similar feelings toward Olivia for what she had done to their family. But that didn't stop him from pitying her. He had wondered how Jake had posted bail. Now he knew.

"What time does your first class start?" Fitz stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking backward on his heels as he waited for her answer.

"I already cancelled them again. But if I keep cancelling them, they might ask me to take a leave of absence this semester."

"That might not be such a bad thing." Fitz tilted his head to the side.

"I need normal right now, Fitz." Olivia turned a wide-eyed gaze to him, a panicked look crossing her face.

Fitz sighed, shaking his head, and turned on his heel. Walking toward the door, he called over his shoulder.

"Come on."

Olivia silently followed him out the door and into the chilly early November weather. Fitz moved his hands from his jean pockets to the warm, fuzzy pocket of his sweatshirt. A brisk breeze blew across the yard, swirling dry leaves. Leading her across the yard, Fitz stopped at the large, red wooden barn near the back of the lot.

"What are we doing?" Olivia wondered just as Fitz was unlocking the barn doors. He didn't answer. Instead, he heaved the doors open and walked inside. In the middle of the barn sat a vehicle covered by a green tarp. Grabbing the tarp, Fitz pulled it from the vehicle.

"Is this why you weren't using the barn?"

"What?" Fitz glanced over his shoulder, pulling the tarp to one corner and rolling it into a ball.

"You're using the other buildings for hay and feed." Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah well…" Fitz turned around to look at the cherry red Jeep Wrangler that sat in the middle of the barn.

"I thought you were selling this."

"I promised Athena she could have it when she's sixteen." He really didn't know why he had kept the Jeep. Sure he and Olivia had bought it together and sure he had been given it during the divorce, but there was no reason for him to keep it. Olivia had always been the one to drive it - Fitz was a truck guy. Always had been. But still, he found himself putting that Jeep in the barn and taking care of it over the years - making sure it didn't rust, that the tires were okay, it started, and the oil was good to go. Promising it to Athena was just a way of justifying why it was still there. He knew that.

"I promise I'll find something before then."

"It's yours, Liv." Fitz shrugged, moving to the passenger side and opening the door. Reaching inside the vehicle, he pulled the glove box open and grabbed the keys that were inside. Shutting the door, he walked around the front of the Jeep and held the keys out toward Olivia. When she held her arm out, palm open, he dropped them into her hand.

"Thank you." Olivia closed her fingers around the keys, holding them in her fist against her side.

"Come on. We'll make sure it still runs okay and I'll fill it up for you."

* * *

Surprisingly, Olivia didn't object when Fitz had her pull into the gas station in the middle of town. She had been reluctant to allow him to continue helping her before she had pulled the Jeep out of the barn. And she hadn't spoken much after Fitz had hopped into the passenger seat. It was a miracle she had managed to be so easy going.

After twisting the gas cap back into place, Fitz moved to the driver's side window and rapped his knuckles against the glass. He tried not to chuckle when Olivia jumped, her hand going to her chest before she twisted the key and cracked her window.

"You want anything?" He inclined his head toward the brown building in front of them.

"Coffee?"

"Be right back."

He didn't have to ask how she wanted her coffee. That wasn't necessary when they had been together as long as they had. Pulling the glass door open, Fitz entered the warm building and headed straight to his left.

"Hey, Sheriff."

Fitz turned at the sound of his name, nodding his head toward the redhead standing by his side and moving out of her way as she reached for the sugar.

"How's it going Susanna?" Fitz finished pouring coffee into the two cups on the counter before handing the coffee pot to the woman beside him.

"Good. Are you really here with Olivia?"

He tried not to laugh at that question. Oh how rumours were going to fly.

"We're just making sure the old Jeep still runs."

"It isn't that old." Susanna tilted her head, raising a brow at him as he added some sugar and milk to Olivia's coffee.

"It's been a few years since it's been out." Fitz shrugged, snapping the lids of the styrofoam cups into place and lifting them from the counter.

"Fitz," Susanna called to his retreating back before he could run too far away, "It's good to see the two of you again."

Shaking his head, Fitz carried the cups to the counter and pondered on Susanna's words as the cashier rang him out. Susanna and Eddie had been his friends since high school. Hell, he and Eddie had been on the football team together. When Fitz had started dating Olivia, even though she was a couple years younger, she was quickly welcomed into their little group. It had been awkward, to say the least, since the divorce.

"I'll see you later, Susanna," Fitz stated as he was shouldering his way out the door, just barely catching what Susanna called back to him.

"What she did was wrong, but you can't hold it against her forever."

* * *

**Athena picked at **her nails as she sat in the chair across from her therapist. Her head was bent, blonde hair creating a curtain between herself and the older woman in the room. They had reached an impasse in their session. Other than her greeting, Athena had been silent.

"Athena, this only works if you are willing to make it work."

Slowly, she lifted her head to stare at Mary Anne. Taking a deep breath, she began speaking.

"I don't know what to say. Everything's weird."

"Weird how?"

"My dad gave my mom the Jeep he was supposed to give me when I turn 16."

"Did he ask you before he gave it to her?"

Athena sighed, placing her elbows on her knees and holding her chin in her hand. "He says it's temporary. And it used to be hers. Before they divorced."

"Well, if it's only temporary, what's the problem?"

"It's not going to be temporary. Just like our arrangement right now isn't going to be temporary."

"What makes you say that?" Mary Anne tilted her head, scratching away at the legal pad on her balanced on her lap.

"Because my dad loves her. So she can walk all over him and he's still going to go back to her."

"I thought you said your father is in a relationship."

"He is. I mean, he likes her," Athena tapped her long nails against her chin, face twisting, "But she's not my mom. It isn't the same."

"Isn't the same how?"

"My dad doesn't treat her the same. It was just different with my mom. A lot different."

"Would you want to see your parents together again?"

Athena frowned, considering that question. There was no easy answer. Things had been great when her parents were together. Before her mother had cheated. They were a happy family. Sure there was the occasional problem, but what family was perfect? After what her mom had done though...Her mother had hurt her dad. And if anything, Athena was a daddy's girl. She always had been.

"No. I would _never _want my dad to be hurt like that again."

* * *

**A/N - **This was a very important chapter. Maybe Fitz does have a bit stronger feelings for Olivia other than "she's the mother of his children". Afterall, he held onto something of hers for years when he didn't have to.

Athena is very confused at the moment. She loves her parents, but she's scared about the possibility that their current living arrangements may evolve into something more and she's extremely protective of Fitz. Even though she's educationally advanced for her age, emotionally she is still very much only twelve.

Until next time,

Gabi


	9. Where Were You?

"Hello Olivia."

Olivia's gaze snapped to the now open doorway. A fashionable woman, about her age, stood there. She wore a kindly smile and had a hand on her glasses, adjusting the black frames.

"I'm Dr. Freeland." She held her hand toward Olivia, wrapping her fingers around Olivia's hand in a firm handshake.

"I've always liked my natural hair," Olivia commented with the first thing to come to mind, her gaze landing on the other woman's short, thick curls, "but I was too afraid no one would take me serious."

The smile faltered on the psychiatrist's face for a brief second and Olivia felt guilty for her comment. Just as she was opening her mouth to apologise, though, the doctor began speaking.

"What makes you feel that way?"

Olivia sighed, shaking her head. Not those questions again. She was getting sick of hearing them from her therapist. Hearing them from another source wasn't exactly on her wish list.

"You know as well as I do what it is like to be a black woman in our fields."

"That's right," Dr. Freeland spoke almost as if to herself as she sat at the laptop on the small table by the counter, "You're the head of the Classical Studies department at IU."

"Yeah."

The doctor nodded, working silently at the laptop for a few moments before continuing their conversation.

"I understand what you are saying, Olivia. At one point, I even felt the same way. Would you like my advice?"

Olivia swallowed, nodding her head. She was still getting used to this form of therapy and it helped her relax seeing that her psychiatrist would be utilising it as well. Everyone had an opinion, whether she wanted it or not, about her life. It was nice to have an option for once.

"You have to do you. You can't live your life the way you think others would want you to. Prove them wrong."

"I needed to hear that." Olivia found herself smiling. Ever since the affair and the way some of her former _friends _had treated her, she had been extra cautious about the way she behaved in public. It was tiresome to say the least.

"We all do sometimes," the doctor agreed, her gaze once more trained on the laptop before her. Silence fell across the room once more as the doctor scrolled through something on the laptop.

"According to Nathan's notes, prior to your divorce your family physician prescribed Prozac for depression?"

"Yes." Olivia kept her gaze on the tiled floor, counting the specks on the tile directly at her feet. Anything to avoid looking at the doctor in front of her. That last encounter with medication for her _disease _had left her with plenty of scars. She still wasn't sure about agreeing to see Dr. Freeland.

"Unfortunately, that is a frequent occurrence. Olivia, the hypersexuality, the increased energy - all of those things you experienced while taking Prozac are typical reactions to SSRI's in someone with Bipolar Disorder. That is why they aren't recommended to treat Bipolar Depression. Bipolar Depression is unlike any other form of depression and it cannot be treated the same. You aren't alone. It's common for family physicians to misdiagnose this disorder as depression and prescribe those SSRI's. Regrettably in your case, it triggered such an intense manic episode that you ended up making some life-altering choices that you probably wouldn't have otherwise made."

Slowly, Olivia lifted her head and looked at the woman before her. In the two years sine her divorce - since her affair, this was the first time that someone was agreeing with her that it wasn't her fault. Sure she had made the decision to sleep with Jake, but it wasn't one that she would have made under normal circumstances. That decision and the knowledge that no one else seemed to understand what had happened had damn near destroyed her.

"Olivia?" Dr. Freeland called as tears began to slide down Liv's cheeks.

"Sorry. It's just -" Olivia shook her head, accepting the tissue that the doctor held toward her.

"It's okay, Olivia. I get this reaction a lot. Thinking that you're crazy and having others tell you that you are, going to a doctor for help only to have it blow back in your face, and not understanding these periods of little to no impulse control is a lot for anyone to have to deal with. But we're in this together, okay?"

Olivia nodded, using the soft tissue to swipe at the tears falling from her eyes. The relief on her face was easy to read as Dr. Freeland continued speaking.

"We have to communicate and work together for your treatment to be effective. Just because something works for one person does not necessarily mean that it is going to work for you. In the beginning, we are going to have to experiment to find the correct medication and dosage for you. Do you have family nearby?"

"I'm living with my ex-husband at the moment."

"Do you think he would be able to tell when your mood shifts?"

Olivia frowned, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbling at the flesh there while she considered the doctor's question. Fitz probably would be able to tell when her mood changed if she asked him to be on the lookout. Just how fair was it for her to ask that favour of him, though? After everything she had done to him? Slowly, she shook her head.

"I'm not going to drag him into this."

"That's okay. It's easier when there is a family member who can help monitor your mood shifts, especially in the beginning, but we can manage."

"My daughter."

Athena already thought she was crazy. Telling her the truth wouldn't do any more damage to their relationship. Maybe it wasn't fair to ask that much of a twelve year old, but...Olivia didn't really have a choice.

"Okay. I will have an informational packet put together before you leave that she can read." The doctor turned toward her laptop, tapping against the keys. After a moment, she turned to face Olivia.

"Now, let's discuss treatment."

* * *

"Lio, finish your dinner. _Then_ you can play that game."

Fitz moved around the table, grabbing Seph and Athena's empty plates and carrying them to the sink. Turning around, he leaned against the counter as he watched Athena help Seph with her homework. He grinned at the sight - he was starting to get used to having the kids at his house all the time and didn't know what he would do when Olivia finally moved into her own place. It would probably be as hard as it had been the first time.

"Where's mom?" Athena lifted her head, meeting his gaze.

"She had a doctor's appointment."

"Did you see the paper I put on the table earlier?"

"I saw it. Are you going with me this year?"

"Nah. Seph had one in her bookbag, too. I haven't checked Lio's."

"You don't have to, Athena. I can do that."

"Well, mom should ha-"

"Athena Harlow!" Fitz narrowed his gaze at his daughter, crossing his arms over his chest, "We will discuss this later. You need to stop disrespecting your mother."

The sound of the front door opening and closing brought an end to the staring contest the two engaged in. Moments later, Tiffani appeared in the doorway. Passing the table, she ruffled Lio's hair before placing her purse on the island. Walking around the island, she placed her lips against Fitz's in a quick kiss.

"Hi, baby."

"Hey." He smiled at her.

"You've been MIA." Lio lifted his head from his plate, fork still pushing the pasta around.

"Work." Tiffani gave an apologetic shrug, eyes settling on Lio's plate. "I'm sorry I missed dinner though! Your dad's pasta is the best."

"Thanks for trying, but he is vehemently against it," Fitz chuckled, deciding to finally relent. "Okay, Lio. You don't have to finish."

"Finally," Lio muttered, standing from the table and carrying his plate to his dad.

"Are you staying the night?" Fitz asked Tiffani as he was scraping Lio's remaining food into the garbage disposal.

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet." Tiffani glanced around the room, lowering her voice so the girls wouldn't hear her from their spot at the table. "Where is she?"

"She hasn't moved out yet, if that's what you're wondering."

"I didn't think so."

"Tif -"

"I know, Fitz. I know."

* * *

"Are you glad you stayed the night now?" Fitz winked, his lips seeking Tiffani's as she lay beneath him. Her arms were draped over his shoulders, nails scraping lightly against his back.

"A little," she laughed against his lips.

"Are you blaming me for -"

_Knock. Knock. _

Tiffani threw her head back against the pillow, groaning at the knocking that sounded through the room. Fitz frowned, rolling off her and over the edge of the bed onto his feet. Grabbing his grey shirt from the floor, he pulled it over his head before padding to the door. He was careful to slide through the door without opening it too wide - he may have still had his pajamas on (for the most part), but Tiffani had long since lost hers.

"Sorry for interrupting." Olivia stood before him, biting at her lip. She hadn't said much since she'd returned from her appointment - only speaking long enough to greet the kids and turn down any food before retreating to the guest room.

"You didn't - Never mind. What's up?"

"Can we not have this conversation right outside your bedroom?" She raised a brow toward him and, for a moment, Fitz could just make out the old Olivia lurking under the surface. The strong, confident woman he had fallen in love with.

"Sure."

He followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen, flipping a light on when she settled into one of the stools at the island. He noted the glass of water that sat before her and his mind wandered. How long had she been sitting in the dark before knocking on his bedroom door?

"I met with that psychiatrist today."

"That's good, Liv." He had already suspected that much when she told him that she had a doctor's appointment. She still wouldn't admit it, but she seemed happier since she had started therapy. Fitz, at least, could see that she was happier.

"She...gave me medicine."

"Okay."

Olivia swallowed, her gaze trained on a stack of papers that sat by the glass of water. From where he was standing, Fitz couldn't make out what they said.

"She also gave me this. I was...I _am _going to give it to Athena to read, but I wanted you to read it first. And I thought we could discuss it after? Tell Athena together?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

After Olivia had gone to bed, Fitz sat at the table with the packet she had left behind. A frown marred his face as he read and a twinge of guilt tugged at his stomach. Suddenly, he had a lot to think about.

* * *

"Did you sleep here last night?"

Fitz raised his head, blinking and rolling his neck. His gaze fell to the table, frowning at the hard, wood surface. His neck and back ached and he had a paper outline etched on his face where he had been using Olivia's packet as a pillow.

"I suppose so."

"I was wondering what happened to you."

Fitz's frown deepened when he noticed that Tiffani was dressed, her bag slung over her shoulder. She typically worked second shift - it didn't make sense for her to be ready to leave at...His head turned toward the clock on the stove. 7:24.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. We um…we need to talk later."

"Tiffani...I didn't fall asleep down here on purpose. I needed to read these." He gestured at the stack of papers before him. "It affects my kids and I need to understand what is happening before I can talk to them about it."

"It's fine and I understand. Which is why I'm going home. You need to focus on your kids right now. Not me."

Shaking his head, Fitz sighed. He knew that wasn't entirely the case. But for now, he would let it slide.

"Call me later?"

"You bet."

He didn't want to let her go (or maybe he did), but he accepted the quick kiss she gave him before watching her walk out the door. Biting his lip, Fitz glanced at the papers that lay in front of him.

_**Bipolar Disorder I.**_

Standing from his seat, he padded toward the door and pulled his coat from the hook on the wall. Sliding his arms through the sleeves and zipping the thick jacket, he slid his feet into his boots next. After, he found a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Olivia and the kids before grabbing the packet Olivia had handed him the night before. He needed someone to talk to - someone to help him gather his feelings.

Without a care that he was still in his pajamas, Fitz stomped out of the house.

* * *

**A/N - **Next chapter is **heavy**. There are two flashbacks (Olivia and Fitz's) concerning Olivia's cheating. Yes, that is _finally _going to be addressed.

Near the end of this chapter, Fitz is starting to show some remorse/guilt toward Olivia. Anyone who has had personal experience with Bipolar Disorder can probably guess why reading that informational packet of Olivia's suddenly has him feeling that way. For those who aren't familiar: when you are manic, you tend to make a lot of irrational decisions and, most of the time, when you are making those decisions - you may as well just be along for the ride. You only realise what you have done once you are coming down from that high (and that is how I have described my manic stages to everyone - it is exactly like being high).

I'm going to try to have the next chapter up in a couple days. It's quite lengthy.

Until next time,

Gabi


	10. Letter to Me

**28 Years Ago**

"_Fitzgerald!" The little girl, hair hanging down her back in two braided pigtails, stood with her hands on her hips. Her frown revealed her missing front tooth. _

"_Ah come on Liv! I just want to show you how to -"_

"_It's my bike." Her eyes flashed and she stomped her sneaker-clad shoe against the rough pavement of the road. Bottom lip quivering, tears started to well in her eyes as he sped around her once more. Just as the first tear began to streak down her face, he hit the brakes on the handlebar, skidding to a stop - dirt flying off the pavement. Using his foot to knock the kickstand into place, he hopped from the bike and ran toward the little girl. _

"_Liv, I'm sorry." He had his hand on her shoulder, looming over her. At 5 foot, he was taller than all the other kids in their neighbourhood - especially her. _

"_It's my bike, Fitz!" She balled her hands into fists, eyes narrowed and a few tears still falling. Pushing past him, she grabbed the handlebars of her bike and lifted it from the ground. Glaring over her shoulder, she struggled onto the bike - wobbling at first before taking off down the road. _

_Fitz stood on the sidewalk, his shoulders slumped. He could just hear the sounds of his dad and Olivia's grandma chatting on the front porch. A few words reached his ears. Words like "fall in love" and "one day". They just made him shake his head and feel a little sick at his stomach. Olivia was just a girl. That stuff was gross. _

_Later that night, as they relaxed in the treehouse behind Fitz's home, a fight ensued between the two friends. Olivia kept stealing the lantern - scooting the only lightsource in the small room closer to her. She was always a lighthog. Always had her nose buried in some book. _

"_Olivia," Fitz complained, reaching out to grasp the lantern and yank it back toward him. "I can't see when it's all the way over there." _

"_You're not even reading," Olivia complained, hand clutching the sides of the lantern and trying to yank it out of Fitz's grasp. "You're just looking at pictures." _

"_That doesn't mean I don't need the light!" _

"_You don't! Stop taking it back." _

"_Olivi - Ow!" Fitz pulled his hand back, glaring at her as he looked down at the bright red skin of his palm. It stung like crazy. With a renewed fire in his eyes, he pulled the lantern back to his side, accompanied with a threat: "If you take it again I'll...I'll beat you up." _

"_No you won't!" _

"_Yes I will. I'm bigger than you." _

_He never did: even though she would, eventually, steal that lantern again that night. _

* * *

**20 Years Ago, Early Fall**

"_Dude, where's your jersey?" Eddie had a frown on his face and a football tucked under his arm as he walked up to Fitz. "You can't tell me our quarterback forgot to wear his jersey on game day." _

_Pulling his thick, history textbook from his locker, Fitz cradled it in his arms. He yanked at his grey shirt, the large wildcat holding a blue football unwrinkling as he pulled his shirt back down. Slamming his locker shut, Fitz turned toward his friend. _

"_Where it belongs: on my girl." _

_The two friends began walking down the crowded hallway, taking a left where the hallway dead-ended into a glass trophy case. _

"_You and Liv are finally a thing, huh?" _

"_Man, I don't know how I got her, but I did." Fitz couldn't stop the goofy smile that crossed his face. He followed Eddie through the door to their history classroom. Sitting in the back, Fitz dropped his textbook onto the wooden desk. _

"_I don't think anyone could explain how your dumbass ended up with her," Eddie snickered, ducking when he felt a hand connect with the back of his head. _

"_Language, Mr. Gibson." _

"_Sorry," Eddie mumbled at their teacher's retreating back. _

"_Rogers is in a bad mood today, huh?" _

_Fitz and Eddie's attention was drawn to Jake as he took the seat in front of Eddie, twisting around to take part in their conversation. Fitz rolled his eyes at that - so what if Jake could run a football? He was a slimy little motherfucker who followed them around like an unwanted fanboy. _

"_Probably still pissed about that fumble last week." Fitz raised a thick brow, challenging Jake to say more. When he didn't, Fitz returned his attention to his friend. _

"_Why do you have your jersey?" _

"_Some stupid sh-things. All comes down to Mellie being a bi-." _

"_Dude, Rogers is going to kill you," Fitz chuckled, nodding in the direction of their white-headed teacher. The old man was standing in front of the chalkboard, tapping his foot with his arms crossed, as he stared at Eddie. _

_Bowing his head, Eddie opened the thick history book and began scanning the pages as he whispered, "I'll explain it later." _

"_Dude, it's Mellie. You really don't have to explain." Fitz shrugged, opening his own book and staring toward the front of the classroom. If he got another C, his dad was going to kill him. _

_**XXXX**_

"_Mr. Grant!" _

_Squaring his shoulders and bowing his head, Fitz waved at Eddie. "I'll catch up with you later." _

"_We'll be at the diner, man. I'll see if I can catch Liv." _

_Fitz nodded, slamming his locker door and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Pushing his one stray curl out of his eyes, he trained his blue gaze on Miss Hernandez. _

"_I have that paper, Miss Hernandez. I um...just have to find it." _

"_Fitz, it's okay. Ms. Pope said you dropped it in the hall and gave it to me. I'm impressed." _

"_That's...It must have fallen out of my locker." He could only hope that she didn't see through his lie. He hadn't done the paper - Spanish was his weakest subject and it was a miracle that he wasn't outright failing. A miracle and the amount of second-chances his Spanish teacher was giving him. Second chances that he didn't always take advantage of. _

"_It was superb, Mr. Grant. Of course this means that I will expect the same effort on all future papers." _

"_Of course." _

_The young redhead smiled, patted his shoulder, and began walking away. Halfway down the hall, she stopped to call over her shoulder:_

"_Good luck tonight, Mr. Grant." _

_Taking a deep breath, Fitz walked out of the school. The crisp fall air tousled his hair and he shivered somewhat despite the thick, black sweatshirt he had tossed over his shirt. Leaves crunched under his feet down the sidewalk that led to the near-empty parking lot. _

_Sliding into the cherry red, 1973 Corvette Stingray that his father had gifted him only last year - his reward for leading the Wildcats to their first ever state championship, Fitz turned the engine on. The drive across town to Harry's was quick - it wasn't a big town. It was a bit harder to find a parking spot, but finally Fitz found a spot. _

"_Over here!" Eddie waved when Fitz entered the diner. With a quick glance at the framed newspaper behind the cash register (of Fitz in his football uniform, holding his index finger up as his teammates hoisted him in the air), Fitz strutted through the diner and slid into the booth. _

"_Hi," he greeted Olivia, a soft smile on his lips, as he reached for the glass bottle of root beer before her. _

"_Hi." Her voice was soft and a slight blush crossed her cheeks. She accepted the soda bottle that Fitz held toward her, their fingers brushing against each other. Leaning down, his lips about an inch from her ear, Fitz stated:_

"_You look good in my jersey." _

"_So what did Hernandez want?" Eddie was busy slurping on a chocolate shake. It never mattered how cold it got, Eddie would not step onto the football field if he hadn't had a shake from Harry's. Kid had a weird tradition. _

"_Apparently I turned my paper in and it was awesome." _

"_You're welcome," Olivia smirked, resting her head against his shoulder. _

"_I figured it was you," Fitz laughed. "Thanks for saving my ass." _

"_Seriously: why him?" Eddie chuckled, sliding toward the wall when Susanna waltzed toward their table. _

"_Ready for tonight?" Susanna hit Fitz's shoulder before sitting across from him. "Hi Olivia." _

"_What am I? Chopped Liver?" Eddie wondered, raising a brow toward her. _

"_Jealous because you're last?" Susanna asked, shaking her head. _

"_There's no way you could ever make me jealous." _

"_Play nice, children." Fitz rolled his eyes, draping his arm across the back of Olivia's seat. _

"_With him?" Susanna wondered, rolling her eyes. _

_Shaking his head, Fitz began planting kisses near Olivia's ear. _

"_I can't wait to see you cheering tonight." _

"_You better keep your eyes on the ball, mister." _

"_Not when I'm not on the field," he responded, causing Olivia to grin and giggle. Fitz smiled at the sound. Life sure was good. _

* * *

**3 Years Ago**

"_I'm sorry to bother you, Sheriff -" _

"_Who is this?" Fitz furrowed his brows, staring at the phone on his desk. He hadn't been sheriff long - having just won the election and settled into his post. In his short time in the position, though, few phone calls had made it directly to his desk. It had to be important to make it past his secretary. _

"_Alaina Moore. The school nurse at Hillsborough. Athena is -" _

"_Is she okay?" Suddenly, he was interested in this conversation. He hadn't had much of an interaction with his family - always so damn busy with his campaign and now, getting settled into his new job. Always making a promise that as soon as he was settled, he would start spending more time with them. It was taking a long time to get settled. _

"_She's sick. I wouldn't call, but she is running a slight temperature and did throw up. I tried calling her mom, but there wasn't an answer." _

_That was odd. Olivia should have been at home with Seph - working on her latest book. She'd cut back on her teaching schedule since having their youngest daughter. _

"_I'll be there soon." _

_Athena did look a little green when he picked her up and for once she didn't argue when Fitz had taken her backpack - carrying it to the truck for her. She'd recently developed a need for independence now that she was in the fourth grade. _

"_I'm sorry they had to call you." _

"_Ath why are you apologising?" Fitz glanced at his daughter, frowning. _

"_You're always busy with work." _

_Fitz's frown deepened as he pulled his truck into their driveway, putting the vehicle in park. With a pang in his chest, he turned his attention to his daughter. Reaching across the console to grab Athena's hand, he began speaking. _

"_I know I've been a little caught up with work, Ath. I'm sorry about that. I'm going to try to do better. I am." _

"_It's okay, dad." Athena patted his arm before pulling her hand from his and reaching for her backpack in the floor. "Mom says that you have to do this for yourself and you'll come back to us when you're ready." _

"_You've always been such a grown-up." Fitz ruffled her hair before sliding out of the truck. Running around the front, he took the heavy backpack from her hands before helping Athena up the stairs and into the house. _

"_Where's Seph?" Athena questioned when they walked into the seemingly empty house. _

"_Hm. I don't know. Maybe your mom had to go somewhere?"_

"_Her car is in the driveway, dad." _

_Fitz dropped Athena's bookbag on the floor, eyes scanning the room. Olivia's shoes were by the door and her purse was on the table. But she was nowhere in sight. Neither was Seph. _

"_Your mom might have taken her to your grandmother's. She said she was on a roll with her book." _

_At that precise moment, a breathy moan floated from the direction of their bedroom. A not-so-quiet exclamation of "Jake" that had Fitz ordering Athena to her own room and taking the stairs two at a time, completely blinded by the rage building in the pit of his stomach. _

* * *

"How long have you been out here, son?"

Fitz was snapped out of his daydream, images of the past still swirling around his head, by his father's voice. Blinking rapidly, his eyes focused on the sun hanging high in the cloudless, blue sky. His hands were numb and his cheeks stung with the raw feeling of a fresh windburn.

Jerry Grant stood with a hand over his eyes, blocking some of the sun's harsh rays as they reflected off the clear, still pond. In his jeans, knee-high Wellingtons, and thick, camouflage winter coat he looked like he was on one of his pheasant hunts. His warm blue eyes, so like his son's, were clouded with worry and a frown tugged at his lips. Without another word, he pulled his hands free of his thick, black gloves and handed them toward Fitz.

"I'll just badger you until you put them on," Jerry chuckled, his booming voice filled the air around them when Fitz shook his head. Shoulders dropping and a sigh leaving his lips, Fitz accepted his father's gloves and pulled them over his numb hands.

"How'd you know I was out here?" Fitz finally asked once his hands had begun to marginally unthaw and the two had meandered to the edge of the pond. A few fish swam lazily just below the clear surface.

"I had a hunch." Jerry slapped his hand against Fitz's back a few times before wrapping his arm around the younger man. "You always did sneak out to this damn pond whenever you were going through things."

"Or fighting with my old man."

"Or fighting with your old man." Jerry laughed, pulling Fitz closer to him.

"Who sent you looking for me?"

"Liv was worried about you."

Pulling away, Fitz looked at his father in shock.

"She _called _you?"

"She came to the house."

"What?"

"She's still up there. With the kids and your momma. Ellie's making them lunch."

Fitz shook his head. His parents hadn't said much about Olivia since the divorce. His father was stony silent about her and his mother...His mother did make the occasional comment. If it hadn't been for that packet Olivia had given him the night before, Fitz would have felt betrayed knowing that his mother had invited his ex into her home. Into his childhood home.

"What's all this about, son?"

"Liv's been seeing a therapist, dad. And a psychiatrist. She's um...She has Bipolar Disorder."

Nodding his head, Jerry stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat prompting Fitz to attempt to give his gloves back. When Jerry shook his head, Fitz quit trying.

"That was a bit of a given, son."

"Not helping, dad."

"Olivia's always been a little off. It was more noticeable right before your divorce, though."

"Apparently she saw Susanna around that time. She gave Liv antidepressants and she had a manic episode."

"There's an explanation that makes sense."

"What?" Fitz tilted his head to the side, looking at his father.

"No one in their right mind would choose Jake over you, son. No one. And Liv was head over heels for you. Hell, I'm not so sure that she isn't _still. _Explains why she stayed with the son-of-a-bitch even after - she felt guilty." Jerry shook his head, the brief flash of anger that had crossed his features telling Fitz that if Jake had been standing before them at that moment, his father wouldn't have hesitated to deck him. It was a feeling Fitz shared.

"That's what I figured, too, pop."

"Your dad's always right, son."

"Huh," Fitz snorted before falling silent, his gaze travelling back to the water. Hearing his father's thoughts - knowing that Jerry had reached the same conclusion he had, didn't help the guilt that had settled in his stomach. His dad had noticed that something was wrong with Olivia. She had needed his help. More than anything, she had needed his help and he...he had been absent. Too busy chasing his dream career to notice that his wife needed him.

And now their whole future was in question because of his actions as much as hers.

* * *

"Hi nana." Olivia's whispered greeting was lost in the chilly wind. Pulling her warm coat closer around her body, she dug her hands into the deep pockets. Her feet sunk slightly into the softening ground, carrying her to the stone bench at the foot of her grandmother's grave. She could hear the sound of the creek at the bottom of the hill, water rushing quickly across the stone creekbed. Glancing skyward at the cloudless expanse of blue, she frowned at the bare tree branches dangling over the grave. The last time she had visited, it had been in the middle of spring. The lush, green leaves of the tree had provided shade then.

"I know it's been a long time and I'm...sorry." Olivia took a deep breath, anything to keep her emotions in check. "It's hard. I hate having to visit you like this."

The wind blew her hair out of her eyes and, for a moment, she imagined that it was her nana. The old woman was always jumping onto her for letting her hair cover her eyes. Her nana had always sworn that she had the most beautiful eyes and it was a crime to hide them.

"Remember Fitz? Of course you do. You always said we'd end up together and then in high school...Somehow, I think we surprised _even _you. We definitely surprised you when we got married. Remember how you told me not to screw it up? Well...I did, nana. I screwed up so bad." She wrapped her arms around herself as the white hot tears fell down her cheeks. "I ruined everything, nana. I ruined our family."

As the wind whistled through the cemetery, she could imagine that it was her grandmother telling her off. Nana loved her family. Family came before anything else and if she knew what Olivia had done...All her nana had ever wanted for Olivia was a family. After Olivia's mother had dropped her and ran, her nana tried to give her a normal life. She didn't want Liv to be like Maya. Nana had always told her that she'd make something of her life and had assured her that she wouldn't be anything like Maya. How false those words were.

_Whore. Homewrecker. Maya. _

More tears fell at the words she imagined her grandmother would have tossed at her in this very moment. And she hadn't even voiced the worst of what she had done.

"I...Fitz worked so much, nana, and no matter what I did: I couldn't even get out of bed long enough to play with my daughter. I was at home with her all day and only wanted to stay in bed and sleep. My doctor gave me medicine and I...I made some bad choices. It was like...watching someone else control my life. Someone who was actually happy and energetic. One of our friends...Well, I _thought _he was one of our friends...he stepped in when I complained that Fitz was never home. And my other _friend_...Mellie convinced me that Jake could be everything Fitz was and more. They _knew _what was happening to me. Mellie's a doctor - she knew _exactly_ what was happening. And they used that to their advantage."

_Whore. Homewrecker. Maya. _

"I'm sorry, nana."

Laying sideways on the bench, Olivia curled her knees into her chest and hugged them to her. The stone was cold beneath her head, numbing her ear, and the wind whipped around her. Tears continued to trail down her cheeks and her breath came in fast, quick puffs as her grandmother's imagined words continued to echo in her ears.

_Whore. Homewrecker. Maya. _

* * *

**A/N - **Originally, Olivia's scene was a flashback, but when I started typing this chapter I edited that out. It was awkward (the whole time I was writing that flashback, I tried to avoid mentioning the details of her affair because writing those scenes with Jake are *shudders*) and I hope this last scene with her grandmother was more powerful than that flashback ever was.

I loved Jerry's introduction here. This is the kind of father Fitz deserved to have, but never got. Two songs were important to this chapter: Letter to Me by Brad Paisley and Mary's Song by Taylor Swift.

Until next time,

Gabi


	11. Pieces of Broken Memories

"Will she be okay?" Fitz hovered outside his childhood bedroom, hands buried in his pockets. His mom was sitting on the edge of the bed, the back of her hand resting against Olivia's forehead. Removing her hand, Eleanor turned to look at her son.

"She'll be fine. Just needs to warm up and rest." Eleanor waved her hand at her son, returning her attention to Olivia. Tucking the thick blanket around the woman's shoulders, she asked: "If I make soup, will you eat it?"

He wasn't sure what her answer was. His mom was taking care of Olivia. They didn't need him crowding the doorway. Lost in his thoughts, Fitz slowly meandered toward the living room on the first floor. They didn't know how long Olivia had been laying on that bench in front of her grandmother's grave. By the time Fitz had found her, it had been dark and a thin layer of snow had covered like a blanket.

"Is mom okay?" Lio's voice snapped Fitz out of his own thoughts. Three pairs of eyes were fixed on him - all creased with worry.

"She's fine. Just needs to warm up."

"Why was she even out there? It's freezing. Who falls asleep in a ceme -"

"Athena! Not now." Fitz ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with his eldest for the moment. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm all the emotions swirling around, he met his daughter's gaze. Athena was shocked - head tilted and a frown covering her face.

"You know how when you're going through things you like to talk to your aunt Mercedes about it?"

Athena nodded - she and Fitz's younger sister were close. Athena would tell everyone that her aunt was her best friend and that they didn't keep secrets from one another. Fitz was okay with that. He liked knowing that his daughter had someone to fall back on whenever she felt like she couldn't share something with him. Sometimes it was easier talking to someone other than your parents. He understood that.

"Well, your mom used to be like that with her grandma. Her nana. Right now, she's got a lot going on and she needed to talk to her."

"But she's -"

"Just because someone dies, Ath, doesn't mean that you can't still talk to them." Fitz sat on the sofa by Seph, pulling the little girl into his side and hugging her to him.

"Daddy, can I see mommy?" She tilted her head back, looking up at her dad with wide eyes.

"I -"

"Sure you can, Seph! You can help me take her some soup." Jerry appeared in the doorway, a warm smile aimed at his granddaughter.

"Don't be too loud." Fitz pulled her onto his lap, squeezing his arms around her before she managed to squirm away and follow Jerry to the kitchen. Sighing and laying his head against the back of the sofa, Fitz glanced over at Lio.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading." Lio held his book up, waving the cover in front of Fitz's face.

"Your mom give you those?"

"She thought I'd like them."

Fitz nodded. Lio wasn't a big reader, but it looked like he was breezing through the book in his hand. The book about Greek demigods. Of course Olivia had given it to him.

"Want to ride to the house with me and take care of the animals?" Fitz lifted his head, looking at Athena.

"Sure."

Bundled in coats and gloves, the two quietly rode the short distance to their house. The snow was coming down hard and the headlights weren't making it any easier to see.

"It's been a while since it's snowed like this before Thanksgiving," Fitz commented, turning the windshield wipers up.

"I like snow." Athena's head was resting against the cold window, breath fogging the glass. "And it means we won't have to run at practice tomorrow."

"Like running bothers you," Fitz laughed. The kid played soccer in the fall, cheered in the winter, and ran track in the spring. Running certainly wasn't a problem for her.

"You're right," Athena shrugged, sitting up as they pulled into the driveway. "But running when it's cold sucks."

Fitz chuckled and put the truck in park. It didn't take them long to take care of all their animals - rushing to finish as the snow covered their coats. On their way back, heat blasting, Fitz decided to broach the topic of Olivia with Athena.

"Your mom's going to need your help, Ath."

"Huh?" She was chewing on her nails, eyes fixated on the white vortex in the headlights.

"Do you know what bipolar disorder is, Ath?"

"That's what's wrong with her?" Athena dropped her hand from her mouth, turning to stare at Fitz.

"Athena!" Fitz sighed, pulling into his parents' driveway and parking his truck. When Athena reached for the handle of the door, he shook his head. "No. We need to finish talking first.

Athena, I know your mom has done a lot of bad things. I know that you think she let you down and I'm not going to lie to you: she did. You shouldn't have been in that house with Jake. You shouldn't have gone through that. Your mom has made some terrible choices. But she also has a terrible disorder that has been affecting her ability to make good choices. That doesn't erase what she did. It doesn't make everything magically better."

"Dad -"

"Wait for me to finish." Fitz shook his head, waving her off. "But it doesn't mean that she can't make amends and it doesn't mean that she isn't still your mother - that she doesn't love you. As her family, we have to be there for her."

"We?" Athena tilted her head, staring at her dad. "Does that mean you're -"

"No. It means that I will be supportive as your father and, maybe eventually, as a friend."

"Well that sucks," Athena mumbled, exiting the truck and slamming the door behind her.

* * *

"Soup?" Jerry held a large, warm mug in front of him. Olivia struggled to sit in the bed, reclining against the many pillows Eleanor had piled behind her.

"Thank you." She took the mug from Jerry, holding it between her hands. The heat felt good. She was still a little cold.

"How you feeling?" Jerry leaned against the dresser across from the bed, his eyes settling on Seph as she jumped into the bed with her mother.

"I helped papaw make the soup, mommy!" She gave a toothy grin.

"It's delicious, baby."

"Mamaw says you need to eat all of it."

"Did she now?" Olivia twirled the spoon around the mug, watching as the noodles moved.

"Why don't you go tell your grandma that she's eating, Seph?" Jerry suggested.

Seph hugged Olivia, promising to return later, before she bounced off the bed and ran from the room. Always so eager to help.

"Everything sucks," Olivia answered after Seph was gone, sipping at her soup.

"I'm not going to tell you that things will get better. I think that's one of the worst things to hear don't you?"

"Fitz told you?"

"Fitz didn't have to tell me, Olivia."

"You never said anything."

"Would you have listened?"

"After I saw Susanna? Probably not."

Jerry sighed, walking toward the bed and sitting heavily on the mattress at Olivia's feet.

"If I had known with certainty back then, Olivia, I would have said something. You never told anyone you were taking those pills and I...There's a reason you aren't supposed to treat family. Your emotions cloud your judgement." Jerry bent his head, a frown covering his face.

"Don't blame yourself, Jerry. Like you said: I didn't tell anyone."

"Don't do that." Jerry shook his head, meeting Olivia's gaze. "Don't blame yourself. Everyone had a role to play in this."

"I'm not so sure that's how everyone feels." She placed her mug on the nightstand and pulled the covers over her shoulders, shivering.

"They're still processing. Still trying to understand what happened."

"I...I failed all of them. Athena, Lio, Seph. Even Fitz. And you and Eleanor."

"You did not fail me and Eleanor. You made some awful choices and I don't agree with them. You weren't yourself, though, Olivia. You need to understand that and move past it. Forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?"

"Forgive yourself. Everything else - and everyone else, will follow." Jerry stood from the bed, patting her leg before moving toward the doorway. As Olivia lay there, face scrunched in thought and chewing her lip, Jerry hit the lightswitch. Before pulling the door shut, he left Olivia with plenty to think about:

"Get some rest, Liv. For what it's worth: I forgive you."

* * *

A/N - There will be a longer chapter up later this week. This one, more than anything, was to establish Olivia and Jerry's relationship.

I know Athena appears a bit "bratty" here and the reason for that, which hasn't been addressed yet, was foreshadowed a bit way back in Chapter 5.

Until next time,

Gabi


	12. All the Baggage

Sneakers squeaked across the hardwood floor and shouts echoed off the walls - from both the coaches and the watching crowd. The sound of a whistle blowing filled the gym, stopping the game. The ball exchanged hands from the black and gold team to the blue and white. Fitz's attention was drawn to the sidelines where Athena was yelling to her squad:

"What's that? A travel?"

The rest of the girls joined in with her, stomping their feet and clapping their hands.

"_You travelled, you travelled, you walk too much _

_You travelled, you travelled, you walk too much_

_You travelled, you travelled:_

_Take a bus, take a bus, take a bus!"_

"Kid's got a set of lungs on her!"

Fitz turned his head to see Eddie settling beside him on the hard bleachers. Susanna accompanied him, settling in beside her husband.

"Your kid's not half-bad with the ball," Fitz observed, nodding toward the bright mop of red hair crowding around the assistant coach and waving his hands as he spoke.

"Kid loves basketball. He's a little smitten with Ath, too."

"Ha!" Fitz rested his elbows on the empty seat behind him, leaning backward and laughing as he observed the two kids on the basketball court. "We always said that'd happen one day."

"Ah to be young and in love again." Eddie shrugged, eyes scanning the crowded gym. "Liv not come?"

"She's getting tea." Fitz jerked his head toward the far right double doors that led out of the gymnasium, across the hall, and into the large cafeteria that housed the concession booths.

"No coffee? That's not like Liv."

"She's supposed to avoid caffeine."

"How is she...handling things?" Susanna leaned across Eddie. Her eyebrows knitted together only deepened the crease in her forehead. She looked tired - and worried.

"She's on a mood stabiliser. Goes to therapy. So far she's taking her psychiatrist's suggestion seriously and avoiding caffeine. That's just the medical side. The _life _side is a lot harder. We haven't told Seph - she's too young to understand. Lio's great. We have a lot of work ahead of us with Ath. The university's been understanding, but Liv still has a lot of rebuilding to do. That son of a bitch took her for everything. She's been spending a lot of time with my dad. He understands what she's going through."

"Fitz." Still leaning across Eddie, Susanna laid her hand atop Fitz's knee. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"She had no business being on the medicine I gave her. I thought she was depressed. I _thought _I was helping -"

"Susanna." Fitz waited until she stopped talking and looked at him. "It's in the past. It happened and it wasn't intentional. Just promise me that it won't happen again. Leave mental health to the mental health professionals."

She smiled, softly, and patted his knee a couple times before withdrawing her hand. Sitting upright once more, Susanna spoke: "After what I did to my two best friends, I can agree to that promise."

A loud whistle coming from the floor drew the trio's attention and Fitz's gaze focused on the redheaded number 12 as he was ushered toward the freethrow line by a referee. When had he been substituted in?

"Where's Tiffani?" Eddie asked, squeezing that question in as the referee was waiting for everyone to get into place. Soon, the voices of about eight cheerleaders were filling the stands - trying to get their chant in before any shots were attempted. Like normal, Athena was leading them.

"_Hey, hey Maxson:_

_What'cha gonna do?_

_Step up to the line _

_And score_

_Two!"_

Fitz smiled as Athena held her white and blue pom-poms in the air, waving them with the rest of the squad in a gesture that had their section of fans quieting down. That didn't stop the other fans from yelling, of course. As Maxson made his second basket, Fitz answered Eddie.

"We're taking a break. She - We're just taking a break." Fitz shook his head, eyes landing on Olivia as she climbed the bleachers with a styrofoam cup in her hands. He was still trying to get used to the grey sweatpants and sweatshirt she had thrown on for the game. It wasn't very Olivia-like.

"Hi Liv!" Susanna greeted as Olivia took the seat beside Fitz, gaze travelling briefly to the scoreboard.

"Hi."

Fitz sighed. The timid approach Olivia used with nearly everyone was wearing thin. It just wasn't her.

"Ah hell. You were right," Fitz chuckled, elbowing Eddie. Athena wore a wide smile on her face, exchanging a few words with Maxson as he passed her.

"Are we taking bets on Athena?" Olivia questioned, leaning behind Fitz to meet Susanna's gaze.

"Maxson has a bit of a crush on Ath," Susanna explained.

"They'll be planning dates, soon." Olivia giggled, turning her attention back to the game.

"Not my little girl." Fitz frowned.

"She's got to grow up eventually."

"Not this soon."

After the game, Fitz and Eddie found themselves milling about on the floor - speaking with Maxson's coach as Olivia and Susanna stood to the side with Athena and the rest of the cheerleaders.

"That was a hell of a game!" Eddie slapped the coach on the back, nodding toward the scoreboard. It had been a close game, but the Wildcats had squeaked by with a last minute shot thanks to Eddie's son.

"We almost got our asses handed to us. They're a good team." The coach grinned, punching Fitz in the shoulder. "When are you going to come help me coach, Sheriff?"

"I don't have time for that," Fitz laughed. Eddie's younger brother was always trying to talk him into coaching. He loved watching the games, but coaching wasn't something he was interested in - or had time for. He barely had time to coach Ath's soccer team or Lio's baseball team.

"Maybe one of these days, eh?" Alex continued to prod.

"Maybe." Fitz shook his head, his eyes landing on the balding coach heading toward the trio. The old man was new - Fitz didn't recall seeing him last year when they had played this team.

"Good game, coach." The old man shook Alex's hand. His polo, embroidered with a golden 'G', was fancier than the t-shirts and jeans that everyone else wore to these games. It was just middle school afterall.

"Right back at ya," Alex grinned. "Couldn't even tell this is your first year with these guys."

"They listen, I'll give them that." The old man laughed, turning his attention to Eddie and Fitz. It only took Alex a fraction of a second before his eyes widened and he began to make introductions.

"This is my brother, Eddie and my other brother, Fitz. We're not actually related."

"I've been hearing that a lot," the older guy chuckled, "Joys of a small town, eh? I missed it like crazy."

"You from around here?" Fitz wondered.

"I grew up in Georgetown. Moved to Florida right after high school to escape a bad relationship. Realised about 40 years too late that running was the wrong answer."

"We can't all be expected to make good choices at that age, Mr. -"

"Pope. Eli Pope." The man held his hand toward Fitz, wrapping his fingers around Fitz's and shaking, firmly.

Fitz frowned - that name wasn't common around there. Stealing another glance at Olivia, now talking with Athena and Maxson, Fitz sighed.

"Do you teach?" Fitz had to practically shout to be heard over the growing hum in the large gym. There was always a celebration when the boys won.

"Substituting right now. I just put in an application here for the history position."

"You're a history teacher?"

"Love everything about it. What about you?"

"Fitz here is our resident badass - aka Sheriff." Alex slapped him on the back. Fitz's laugh was hollow. He didn't feel like goofing off with Alex at the moment.

"Sounds like an interesting job."

"Oh some days it is." He tried not to focus on how much the older man reminded him of Olivia. Absentmindedly, Fitz made his escape. "I think Liv's ready to go. I'll catch up with you later, Eddie. Nice meeting you, Eli. Alex? Stay out of trouble."

"Dad!" Athena protested as the trio marched out of the school.

They pulled their winter coats tighter, snow swirling around them. Another reminder that it was quickly approaching the end of December. Fitz wasn't ready for that. Thanksgiving had been awkward enough. Christmas, though? He stole a glance at Olivia, walking on the other side of Athena. They needed to lay better ground rules before the 25.

"We have to pick your brother up," Fitz reminded the tall 12 year old, stopping in front of his truck. Digging around his pocket, he pulled his key free and struggled to hit the correct button with the big fingers of his glove. "And we can't leave your sister with your grandparents all night. Not while she's running a fever."

"I was going to ask if I could spend the night with Gwynn!" Athena huffed, pulling the back door open and tossing her duffel bag into the backseat. Fitz sighed as he climbed into his own seat. That girl and her attitude lately.

"We will talk about it when we get home." Olivia had settled into the passenger seat and was pulling her door closed. "If Gwynn's parents are okay with you coming over, I will take you to her house."

Fitz met Olivia's gaze in the rearview mirror as he was backing out of the parking space. He didn't have to speak to convey his thanks - they were getting better at this united front thing for the kids' sakes. They still had kinks to work out and Olivia needed to have a heart-to-heart with Athena. All in due time.

* * *

"I didn't think you were coming back this semester!"

Olivia smiled, the blood red of her lipstick cracking just a bit, at the exclamation coming from the tiny redhead. Well, not _that_ tiny. She was taller than Olivia by a good three inches without the heels she loved to wear. But she looked like a light breeze might blow her down at any second.

"I'm here to oversee my finals, Dr. Whelan."

"Is that so, _Dr. _Grant?" Abby raised a thin brow, shaking her head. There were few times that they were this formal with one another. With students milling around the hallway, it was a given that Olivia wouldn't use first names.

"Have you planned yours, yet?" Olivia slid her key into her office door and turned the lock. Inside her office, Olivia took her seat behind her desk while Abby chose to perch on the corner. Always a rulebreaker.

"You know me. I fly by the seat of my pants." Her blue eyes twinkled as she played with a pencil on the large desk.

"No you don't."

"Okay. Maybe not. How have you been, Liv?"

"Better."

Abby was her best friend at work. Which was the only place they ever saw each other. The fiery redhead hadn't taken over the Political Science department until last year and Jake wasn't keen on Olivia having friends over - or out. Like everyone in her life, Abby only received bits and pieces of Olivia.

"The doctor's helping then?"

"She is. Strangely enough, so is my ex."

"What?" Abby's mouth fell open in surprise and her eyes widened. "Your ex?"

"I've been staying with him. Jake got bailed out. Wiped my accounts clean and took everything."

"He's out?"

Olivia frowned. Abby had a big mouth and if she wasn't careful, everytime she screamed it would carry to the hallway. Olivia was not prepared for some passing student to hear more than she wanted and spread rumours around campus.

"He was. The judge offered him a deal and he pretty much skipped town."

"You aren't worried about him coming back?"

"I don't think he'd be that dumb. He knows Fitz has it out for him."

"Fitz...Your ex, right?" Abby barely waited for Olivia's nod before whistling. "Sounds like he's a lot more devoted than you make him out to be."

"What?" Olivia shook her head, her shoulder-length curls swaying. It was a new look - one she had been itching to try since her first psychiatrist appointment.

"Nothing, Liv," Abby whistled, a wide grin covering her face, "But a man who doesn't still have feelings - isn't this devoted."

"Abby don't even play like that." Olivia frowned, swatting her hand at her friend.

"You know it's true. Question is: what are you going to do with those feelings?"

Olivia sighed, settling back into her chair and hitting her head against the leather seat. Fitz didn't have feelings. Abby was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. Just like normal. Besides, she'd never met him. How could she possibly know what she was talking about? Right?

Right?

* * *

**A/N - **Susanna did not intentionally give Liv the wrong medication. Mellie and Jake on the other hand...Mellie is getting closer to being officially introduced. Jake is gone for good. The repercussions of what those two did still remain and have as of yet to be addressed or even clearly laid out.

Papa Pope made an official appearance, but his knowledge of Olivia and desire to know her are still unknown.

Abby has made her first appearance, too. Like everything else in Liv's life, though, she's been kept strictly in Olivia's 'work' category. Somewhat because of Jake and somewhat because Olivia had to make these separate categories of her life to function.

Until next time,

Gabi


	13. Everything is Icy and Blue

"We are spending Christmas together." Olivia bit her lip, sliding her hands beneath her thighs. Her hands sunk into the overstuffed chair, making her feel almost childish. Meanwhile, her therapist sat with a raised brow, his eyes widened. It didn't make her feel any more confident about the decision to spend the holidays at Fitz's.

"Are you okay with that?"

"It's kind of a bad time to move out. Jake took everything. Fitz and I talked about it and...he was right when he made the suggestion." She bounced her legs up and down, feet tapping against the carpeted floor. It was a nervous tic that her therapist probably wouldn't miss. It did bring Olivia some comfort, though, and that was all she cared about.

"Fitz was right about what?" Gone was Nathan's notepad - it hadn't been present since their first session. Instead, he was drumming his fingers against the armrest of his own chair - drawing Olivia's gaze. She generally found it easier not to look him in the eye.

"About saving money by staying with him for now and not worrying about trying to come up with gifts for the kids." She moved her hands from beneath her thighs, interlacing her fingers and squeezing. The pressure, bordering on pain, was a way to stay grounded. It helped to keep her thoughts from drifting to the long, often heated, conversations that had led to that decision.

"That is a logical decision. What about you and Athena? Last time you had mentioned that you were in the process of telling her of your diagnoses."

Fingernails digging into the skin by her knuckles, Olivia swallowed. She blinked rapidly, teeth worrying at her bottom lip. Resting her head against the back of the beige chair she sat in, Olivia tilted her head to the side and let her gaze slide to the window on the wall.

"She's scared. She won't admit it. Athena won't let anyone know when she's scared. She's so used to having to be the strong one. I guess that's my fault."

"Do you truly believe that is your fault or is that what you _think _you should say?" Nathan crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair.

Olivia sighed. She had been called out for many things since starting therapy. Asking if her feelings were genuine or if they existed only because she thought they should was a weekly thing. Normally, it could be boiled down to one cause: a lack of empathy on her part. Just another of the long lists of negative side effects that had now been given a name.

"It is my fault," Olivia asserted, moving her gaze back to her therapist and unlacing her fingers. Small, crescent shaped indentations marred the skin around her knuckles. Inhaling, she placed her hands on the armrest of the chair. "Jake...I don't like to think about what he might have done to her. She was there for Lio and Seph every time I couldn't be."

"Why stay? He was abusing you. Stealing from you."

"I'd already fucked up. Leaving Jake wouldn't have changed that."

"No. It wouldn't have changed the decision you made that led to your relationship with Jake. It _would _have lessened the level of abuse he was able to engage in."

"I chose to go with him -"

Nathan lifted a hand, holding one finger up and toward Olivia. Pursing his lips, he waited for her to quiet down.

"I don't mean to interrupt, Olivia, but did you think you deserved what he did? Do you _believe _you deserved what he did?"

Tilting her head, Olivia frowned. Thoughts swirled through her mind. Too many for her to speak right away. She would have to pull on her boots and wade through the muck before answering that question. The cheating. The divorce. Dating Jake. All of that was a blur to her. It was like looking at her life through the eyes of someone else. Did she deserve Jake? She was the one who decided to sleep with him. She decided to date him. _She _moved in with him. And she stayed.

"I don't know," Olivia whispered, working her bottom lip between her teeth and chewing on her already chapped skin. "I...I...Something was wrong with me."

"What was wrong with you?" Nathan crossed his legs, leaning forward and angling his body toward Olivia.

"I _craved _sex. All the time. It…"

"Was this after the SSRI?"

"Yes."

Nathan slumped back into his chair. He took a moment to rub his hand over his face, exhaling sharply. "Increased sex drive can be an indicator of a manic episode, Olivia."

"So all of you continue to say," Olivia shrugged. "Either way - it was a problem. Especially when Fitz was never home. Jake and Mellie had me _convinced _he wasn't home because he was seeing someone else. I believed them. It wasn't hard to get me to believe something like that. I was already paranoid enough that I thought pictures were watching me -"

"You've never mentioned this paranoia before, Olivia." Nathan frowned, leaning across his chair to reach for the notepad that lay atop his desk. He scribbled a few notes before asking: "Did you mention this to Dr. Freeland?"

"Yes," Olivia nodded, "Apparently bipolar psychosis is common when there has been an extended manic episode."

"It is. Did you have any other psychotic symptoms?"

"Just the paranoia. I was able to stifle that at first, but eventually…"

"You could no longer separate reality from fiction."

"And hearing that one of my best friends at the time had personally seen my husband cheating...Well, when Jake offered a shoulder to cry on, I took it." Olivia shook her head and snorted.

"So you do blame yourself."

"I guess? Fitz wasn't cheating. I know that now. I cheated. I left him. He asked for the divorce, but I was the one who left. Then I put my kids in a situation they shouldn't have been in. I couldn't leave Jake. I'd already made so many mistakes and it was like I was sinking. Jake was the only thing keeping me afloat."

"He abused you."

"What if I deserved it?" Olivia tilted her head, her wet gaze meeting her therapist's.

"No one deserves abuse, Olivia."

"After what I did, I'd say we'll just have to agree to disagree."

* * *

"A little to the left." Athena craned her neck, eyeing the string of lights her father was in the process of hanging across the front of the house.

"How about now?" Fitz glanced over his shoulder, waiting on his daughter's thumbs up before securing the string of lights. Slowly, he climbed back down the ladder.

"Are we putting lights on the trees again?" Seph was excitedly rummaging through the box of lights that Fitz had dragged out of the attic.

"If you're doing that again, at least let your father help you!" Eleanor had stopped in the middle of hanging lighted snowflakes on the windows to look at her son. Lio bounced impatiently beside her, a snowflake in his own hand. His nose, peeking out from just over the collar of his black puffer, was a nice, ruddy tone.

"One little accident last year." Fitz rolled his eyes, yanking his gloves from his pockets and pulling them over his hands.

"Oh he'll be fine, Ellie." Jerry came from around the side of the house, a box in his hands. His head twisted toward the driveway at the sound of tires hitting gravel. The red Wrangler rolled to a stop beside Fitz's Dodge.

"Here, Ath." Jerry passed the box in his hands to his granddaughter and watched as Olivia got out of her vehicle, locking the doors behind herself. Olivia was about halfway to the porch before she seemed to realise that everyone was standing outside - working on decorations.

"I didn't know we were decorating."

"We decorate every year," Athena mumbled, her eyes trained on the contents of the box her grandfather at just handed her.

"What Athena means," Jerry began, giving the young girl a pointed look, "Is that this has become our tradition. A nice little bonding exercise."

"Yeah _that's _-"

"Ath, why don't you go help your father get the lights ready for the pine trees? No tangled messes. We don't want a repeat of last year. I'm not sure your mamaw could handle that again." Jerry tilted his head toward Fitz, waiting as Athena trudged, slowly, toward the trees closest to the road. Once she was out of earshot, he turned back to Olivia.

"I can help."

"Is that what you want to do?" Jerry raised a brow as Olivia shifted the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder.

"Yeah, it is." Olivia smiled, a soft laugh escaping. "Thank you, Jerry. You're the only one who ever asks if I'm doing what I want."

"Go get some warmer clothes on," Jerry advised, waving her comment off and meandering back toward the group huddling at the base of one of the pine trees. He reached the group in time to hear the tail-end of Fitz's comment to Eleanor.

"Because we broke up."

"Why? She was a lovely girl." Eleanor stood with a string of lights dangling from her hands, trailing behind her as she unraveled the cord.

"We...can have that conversation later." Fitz's gaze fell over his mother's shoulder, landing on Olivia as she trudged through the snow toward them. Eleanor twisted to look behind herself, a slight frown forming.

"She's making an effort, Fitz. But don't forget the past."

"Mother…" Fitz sighed, shaking his head and turning toward the ladder that leaned against the tree.

"Isn't this dangerous?" Olivia wondered aloud minutes later as Fitz and Jerry were balancing at the top of the ladders they had leaned against the large, pine trees. Snow had begun falling, light at first and then in large, swirling flakes that worked to minimise the visibility in the area.

"There's only been one accident," Athena shrugged.

"Daddy fell last year," Seph added.

"We don't remind your grandmother of that!" Jerry's voice reached them from the ladder, muffled a bit by the falling snow.

"He fell?"

"We had to go to the hospital." Lio practically ran around his mother, tossing a line of lights toward his father's outstretched hand.

"It wasn't anything serious. I've been told that I overreact." Eleanor turned her back to Olivia, rummaging through yet another box.

Olivia shuffled awkwardly in the snow, wiping snowflakes from her face every so often. Her eyes darted from child to child - watching as each one effortlessly ran around the adults. They seemed to know exactly where they needed to be and when.

"We haven't decorated the tree yet. We waited for you." Athena came up beside her mother, arms crossed.

"That's sweet, Ath."

"Yeah. Seph wanted to do it with you."

* * *

"I am still freezing," Olivia complained, wrapping her hands around the warm, thick mug of hot cocoa.

"I could have carried everything in by myself."

"There was a lot." Olivia sat the mug on the coffee table to her side. She reached blindly for the scissors she had placed on the floor.

"Are you sure you don't want any help wrapping?"

"You? Wrap?" Olivia laughed, reaching for a roll of wrapping paper.

"It's not as good as yours, but I've learned a thing or two." Fitz shrugged, easing his butt onto the floor across from Olivia. Crossing his legs, he cradled his own hot cocoa between his hands.

"I've got it, Fitz."

"The kids like having you here," Fitz broke the silence some moments later as Olivia shoved a wrapped present to the side, smacking her hands together and watching the silver-gold glitter fly.

"This wrapping paper was a terrible idea. I look like I got into a fight with a stripper."

"Seph likes glitter," Fitz laughed, shaking his head at the amount of glitter that was flying. He could imagine weeks of vacuuming before all of that glitter would be gone.

"I like seeing the kids more often."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Fitz disappeared for a few minutes to take their empty mugs to the kitchen.

"I haven't seen Tiffani lately," Olivia remarked when Fitz returned, his knee cracking as he settled back onto the floor. She grimaced at the sound - football had been hard on his body.

"We...decided that this isn't what we wanted."

"Is it because of me? I would have -"

"Liv, it wasn't because of you. I made choices for my kids because, as always, they come first. She didn't understand that and I can't be with someone who isn't okay with me putting them first."

"I wish I would have...could have...damnit I don't even know how to say this without sounding like a heartless bitch. I also don't know why I'm concerned about that because you already think that about me." Olivia shook her head, roughly tearing a piece of tape and angirly attaching it to the wrapping paper on the box before her.

"Liv -"

"Heartless bitch. Soulless whore. Don't try to deny it. You definitely said those things. And they were definitely true."

"I was very angry. And hurt," Fitz sighed, leaning back on his hands and watching as Olivia furiously continued wrapping, "You were the love of my life and I didn't think I would recover from what happened. I didn't understand how that could have happened and with Jake of all people. You threw away our family."

"That's fair." Olivia bit her lip, pushing yet another finished present away. Fitz shoved off the floor, silently transferring Olivia's small pile of gifts to under the Christmas tree.

"Are you almost finished?"

"Almost," she answered.

"I'm going to head to bed, then. Seph and Lio will be up bright and early."

"They love Christmas."

"Goodnight, Liv."

"Fitz?" She waited for him to stop, turning at the end of the staircase to look back at her. Head still lowered as she focused on Athena's last present, Olivia said, "You never asked why I did it."

"Honestly, Liv, it wouldn't have mattered."

* * *

**A/N - **I thought hard about not writing anymore. It had absolutely nothing to do with guest reviews and everything to do with me crashing. Hard. In the end, though, I love writing too much and I just had to trust my gut that all of you would understand my need to step back for a few weeks while I recharged.

Liv made some heavy revelations in therapy and, despite Jerry's efforts to include her, she obviously still feels a bit like an outsider. I think it was important that she and Fitz have this heart-to-heart as well. It's clearly not over. This conversation barely touched on their problems, but they're getting there. This isn't a fast 'reveal everything and fix it'. There are a lot of pieces and feelings involved and that just isn't realistic. Christmas is over, though, and who knows what New Year's will bring for these two and this broken family?

Until next time,

Gabi


	14. Candle Wax and Polaroids

"How was Christmas?"

"Weird." Athena shrugged. She wrapped her cardigan tighter around her body - the heat was blaring, but she was still freezing. The slight tickle in the back of her throat didn't help to make her feel any more comfortable, either.

"Why was it weird?" Mary Anne shoved her glasses further up her nose.

"This was our first Christmas together in three years."

"Your mother spent Christmas with you?" Mary Anne cupped her chin in her hand, eyes trained on the girl lounging in the chair before her.

"Yeah. My dad asked her. She was going to move out, but he talked her out of it."

"Were you happy that he talked her out of it?"

"I didn't really care either way. My sister and brother liked having her there and that's all that matters."

"And your dad? You've said that the two of you are close. You're very protective of him."

Athena ignored the question for a moment. Her thumbnail scraped against the nail of her index finger, removing some of her already chipped nailpolish. The bright red that Seph, so eager to use her Christmas present, had painted on her nails was already almost gone. That included the red that surrounded Athena's nails. Seph wasn't the most experienced manicurist and, just as she did when she coloured, staying inside the lines wasn't a skill of hers.

"My dad has to make his own choices."

"Correct. His choices will affect you and your siblings, though." Mary Anne paused, her head tilted as she watched Athena continue to pick at her nailpolish. When Athena didn't speak, she prompted: "So you must have some opinion."

"I don't know. That's an opinion, right? I. Don't. Know."

"I believe that is an appropriate response in this situation. There are a lot of things happening and it can take time to process all the changes. Let's start small. How do you feel about your sister and brother? Have your feelings changed?"

"Since moving in permanently with my dad?"

"Yes. You seem to have opposing views on your parents' situation. Lio seems a bit indifferent either way while Seph sounds like she very much enjoys the arrangement."

Athena finally quit picking at her nails, placing her hands on the armrests and drumming her fingertips against the rough fabric. "They're younger than me. Seph just wants mom and dad together again. She doesn't really understand what happened. And, ya know, things might actually be different. I don't know that they won't be different. I just know that what my mom did was so, so, _so _messed up and it really hurt my dad. I don't ever want to see him go through that again. Ever. I mean, my mom's going to therapy and she's getting help, but I just...I don't know."

"Let's examine your mom's situation, if you don't mind."

Athena nodded, wrapping her fingers around the edge of the armrests. Her mother's situation was still a difficult topic for her. There hadn't been nearly enough communication and she had so many questions swirling around her head that even she didn't know where to begin. Luckily, she didn't have to start.

"Have you given any more thought to your mother's disorder? I know you were afraid of the possibility that _you _may begin exhibiting symptoms as you age."

"Is that possible? I've tried to research it, but I haven't really gotten a good answer."

"Yes," Mary Anne nodded, "we believe there to be a genetic predisposition for Bipolar Disorder, both type I and type II, as it does tend to run in families. The exact influence that genetics plays is still debatable."

"So I could end up being just like my mom." Athena frowned, eyes falling to her lap. She could feel the water building, but refused to let it fall. Her mother had torn their family apart and if she knew anything, it was that she definitely did _not _want to be like her mom.

"You have an increased risk, compared to the general population, of developing Bipolar Disorder. Athena, I want you to remember that this is a disorder that affects roughly one percent of all people. That's not a huge percentage. There is no guarantee that you are going to develop this disorder. In fact, even with your increased risk it is still highly unlikely that you develop this disorder."

"I don't want to be like her." Athena raised her chin, staring at her therapist as her voice wavered. "She ruined everything."

"I know that you blame her for what happened to your family. I'm not picking sides. We have discussed why I cannot do that. But I will say that I understand why you would place this blame on your mother. Through her actions, she set some things in motion that you haven't coped with. At least you haven't coped well. Do you understand, Athena, _why_ she made those choices?"

"She blames it on the medicine she was taking then."

"That's a huge part of why she made those choices. When someone with Bipolar Disorder takes an SSRI, it can trigger a manic episode. How much do you know about mania?"

"I know there's like two types. There's two types of Bipolar, too."

"Correct. Mania and hypomania. Your mother experiences manic episodes, not hypomanic."

"What's the difference?" Athena tilted her head, inhaling deeply.

"Mania is more severe than hypomania. It is one of the main distinctions made between type I and type II. When your mother experiences these manic episodes, she tends to make extremely poor decisions. Someone in a manic stage doesn't see the consequences of their choices. Their mind tricks them into believing that there are no consequences. They sleep considerably less and are very productive... Um...Often, they have disorganised speech because of their racing thoughts."

"It doesn't make sense though. My mom loved my dad. I think she still loves my dad. There's like no reason for her to have cheated. It's not -"

"Logical?" Mary Anne raised a brow, pausing long enough for Athena to nod. "Athena, this is going to be hard for you to hear because you are a logical child. You try to rationalise everything. But you can't do that in this situation. Your mother wasn't rational when she made that choice. There is no logic that can be applied. There is a reason that Bipolar Disorder is, at times, considered a disability. It can be disabling - especially in your mother's situation when it wasn't being treated and, later, wasn't being treated properly."

"It's just...I…"

"It's hard. I know. You are attempting to explain and understand your mother's actions as if she were mentally healthy. You cannot do that, Athena. It isn't fair to her. It isn't fair to do that to anyone who suffers from a mental health issue. You cannot provide your mother with the same constraints that you would naturally expect from someone whose brain is functioning correctly."

Athena blinked rapidly, swallowing around the lump in her throat. Chewing on her bottom lip, she glanced toward the clock on the wall.

"Why would she cheat, though?"

"I know you want a definite answer. I'm not sure that there is one." Mary Anne gave a small, sympathetic smile. "All I know of your mother is what you have told me. I can tell you that some individuals who experience manic episodes experience hypersexuality as a side effect. I am not saying that your mother did, but she may have. Extended periods of a manic episode as would have happened with your mother taking an SSRI, can also cause what we call bipolar psychosis. This is auditory and/or visual hallucinations...um...paranoia."

"My mom and I haven't really talked about this…"

Mary Anne pursed her lips, nodding her head. "Ask her if you can go with her to a psychiatry appointment. Her psychiatrist will have to consent, but if she does I believe it would be beneficial for both of you."

"Okay."

* * *

"Thanks for coming over." Olivia stuffed her hands into the large, black Carhartt she had thrown on. The cold wind stung her already red, wind burnt cheeks and hurt her chest with each ragged breath she took. She was still trying to catch her breath.

"I don't think you could've gotten her back in there." Jerry finished latching the green, metal gate. His eyes fell on the Friesian mare standing by the round bale in the middle of the field.

"She's beautiful," Olivia breathed, her own gaze travelling across the black horse. It had been a surprise when she had glanced out the kitchen window to find the horse frolicking around the side yard. A phone call and mad dash to find boots ensued before the Friesian had been coerced back into the field. It had taken more time for Jerry to temporarily fix the fence than it had to catch the horse.

"That's what Athena spent her show money on last year."

"She never mentioned a horse." Olivia leaned against the wooden fence post as Jerry rested his arms across the gate.

"She's a teenager. Still processing. She'll keep you more informed when she's older."

"Well, she's always been a daddy's girl. I'm sure she tells him everything."

"They do have a special bond. I don't think she tells him as much as you think," Jerry laughed.

"You know, when we first brought her home I swore Fitz wasn't going to put her down. It was so bad. I thought we were never going to get her to even sleep in her crib. She wanted him to hold her all the time," Olivia laughed, a smile crossing her face. Sometimes it felt good to reminisce.

"He was excited to be a dad. I remember that he called me. Ath couldn't have been more than a month. He went: 'Dad, she's perfect. I'm a dad'. And he just kept repeating it."

"He's a great dad."

"Yes he is."

Olivia inhaled, balling her hands into fists in her pockets. Her eyes travelled to the sky as a large, wet snowflake hit her cheek.

"I didn't know we were supposed to get more snow."

"All night," Jerry sighed. "Ellie was watching the news when I left."

Olivia nodded, turning her head to look at her ex-father-in-law. Heart thumping in her chest and her palms sweaty, she began speaking - forcing the words out of her mouth as quickly as possible before she changed her mind.

"I...want to sign a release for you. With my psychiatrist and therapist. If that's okay with you. You know more about this than anyone. Even me. I just...I need someone to know what's happening and maybe even explain it to me."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Olivia's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Jerry to agree. Not with the way everyone still felt about her.

"You've been my daughter since you were seven years old, Liv. Since you were that little girl who moved into the house next door and became my son's best friend. Whether you wanted it to happen or not, you became part of mine and Ellie's family. When your grandmother told me that your mother had disappeared and that you've never known your own dad, I made a promise to her. To be there for you. You'll always be family, Liv."

Jerry turned away from the gate, wrapped an arm around Olivia's shoulders, and began walking toward the driveway. Olivia pulled her hand from her pocket, bringing it to her eyes and rubbing at the trail of water that had spilled. Eyes blurry, she nearly missed the headlights glaring toward her as Fitz's truck pulled into the driveway. Jerry's tight grip on her shoulder was all that prevented her from stepping into the truck's path.

"What are you doing here?" Fitz called as he slammed his truck door. Athena rounded the back of the vehicle, tilting her head when she saw her mother.

"Why are you wearing dad's coat?"

"Sorry," Olivia met Fitz's gaze. "I just grabbed something. Freyja was out."

"Did you get her back in?" Fitz's head whipped toward the field, trying to see the mare through the now thickly falling snow.

"We got her up. I fixed the fence good enough for tonight. You'll have to call Randy."

"I'll text him. You staying for dinner?"

"Nah. Your mom's cooking. I'll see you all later." Jerry wrapped his arm around Olivia, pulling her close for a brief hug before moving to Fitz and Athena. On his way to his own truck, he called over his shoulder, "Tell Seph and Lio I said hi!"

Fitz raised his hand, waving at his father before following Athena and Olivia up the sidewalk. Inside the house, the trio removed their coats and hung them on the coat rack. Athena hurried off to her room, leaving Olivia to make conversation with Fitz.

"I'm sorry I used your coat."

"It's just a coat, Liv." Fitz shrugged her apology off, kicking his boots off and moving into the kitchen. "You started cooking?"

"You worked all day and then took Athena to therapy."

"Thank you."

"It shouldn't be much longer. We made lasagna. Lio requested it. Seph doesn't remember me ever making it. She thought that it only comes pre-made." Olivia shook her head, smiling.

"Did they help you?"

"Yeah. It was nice."

"You used to cook with Athena a lot." Fitz twisted the lid off the bottle of tea in his hands and took a hearty sip. "It might be...helpful if the two of you did things together again."

"Did she talk about me in therapy?"

"You were mentioned. That's all she would tell me."

"I want to build a better relationship with her. She's so...I don't know how to connect with her. Lio and Seph are easy, but Ath...I don't know how you do it." Olivia rested her forearms on the island, biting her lip.

"That's because Lio and Seph are like you."

"And Athena is so much like you." Olivia laughed. Her oldest daughter had always been more like Fitz. It was why they were so close - and why they had the almost unbreakable bond they had.

"She's weary, Liv. She'll come around, but you have to give her a reason."

* * *

"Ew!" Athena covered her eyes, doubling over and laughing loudly. "The confetti is literally sticking to him!"

"I don't see how anyone can sweat that much." Olivia stared wide-eyed at the television screen. The New Year's Eve Miami performance was like a bad trainwreck that she couldn't turn away from no matter how hard she tried. Sweat poured down the performer's face and his white dress shirt had a healthy amount of sweat rings around his neck and underarms.

"It's so gross!" Athena gagged, her laughter continuing to fill the room.

"The two of you are going to wake Lio and Seph," Fitz stated, entering the room with a bottle of sparkling grape juice in his hands.

"I get some?" Athena wondered as Fitz filled all three glasses that sat on the coffee table.

"It's just grape juice, Ath." Fitz placed the bottle on the table behind their glasses. He handed Olivia and Athena theirs before grasping his in his hand and reaching for the remote.

"I'm trying, Ath. Part of that is avoiding alcohol," Olivia informed the blonde beside her.

Athena nodded, sipping the tart, but sweet drink. "Just family time tonight, mom."

Olivia's attention was drawn to the table at the sound of the remote hitting the table. Fitz raised his glass, clinking it with each one of theirs as they began counting down with everyone else in The Garden.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!"

"Happy New Year!" Olivia wrapped her arm around Athena, pulling her sideways into a hug.

"Happy New Year. Mom, dad." Athena shrugged out of her mother's embrace, standing from the sofa and reaching for a blue and silver party horn that lay on the table. Setting her glass down, she put the end of the party horn to her lips and turned toward her father, blowing on the device and laughing when the end hit Fitz's cheek.

"Crazy kid." Fitz shook his head, reaching for one of the throw pillows on the sofa and hitting Athena.

"Dad!" Athena laughed, lunging for her own pillow. The ensuing pillow fight lasted for minutes with the two chasing each other around the room. The fight ended with Athena bidding both parents goodnight and trudging up the staircase.

"You're so good with her," Olivia observed as Fitz rested against the sofa, his breaths coming in short puffs.

"We just have fun. She's got a lot on her plate and sometimes she needs reminded that she's only a kid."

"Do you ever wonder what things would be like if -"

"I don't want to be the asshole who shuts you down right now, Liv. But I'm not ready for that conversation."

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, swallowing. Her gaze drifted back to the television only returning to Fitz when his snoring filled the silence that had settled across the room. Shaking her head, she stood from her seat and reached for the throw blanket that lay on the back of the sofa. Shaking the blue, fuzzy blanket out, she threw it over Fitz.

Turning the television and lights off, Olivia silently crept up the stairs toward her own bedroom. So far, this new year was looking only slightly better than the previous.

* * *

**A/N **\- Athena had a very important conversation with her therapist. She and Olivia are moving closer to a combined session. I know a lot of you have been wondering when that will happen and...it takes time. Not all therapists like combined sessions - some advise against them and some won't do them at all. They have their own set of risks and challenges and the client has to agree to them as well.

What about the direction Olivia and Fitz are moving in? If it seems awkward and unsure to you as you read, that's how it should seem at the moment. They don't know where they're heading and they still have a lot of issues they haven't addressed.

Until next time,

Gabi


	15. Committed to an Old Ghost Town

"Mind if I join you?" Olivia slid the door shut behind her before slowly edging toward the hot tub. She pulled her towel tighter around her body, shivering at the cold, winter breeze that blew across the deck.

"Sure." Fitz lifted his head, slowly popping one eye open and glancing in Olivia's direction. When she moved her hands to the knot of her towel, he lowered his head back to its resting place against the ledge of the hot tub and closed his eyes.

Olivia pulled at the knot of her towel, unravelling the material before throwing it over the railing of the deck. Padding across the chilled wood, she placed her foot on the steps by the hot tub and slowly walked up them. Lifting her leg, she gingerly dipped her toes into the warm water before swinging her other leg in and gently lowering herself into a seat.

"It's a beautiful night." Fitz broke the silence, opening his eyes and staring up at the night sky.

"It sure is," Olivia agreed. Her eyes travelled over the twinkling stars dotting the dark sky. Other than the breeze blowing through the trees, it was a quiet night. Peaceful.

"Lio has basketball camp next week and Seph and Ath have cheer camp."

"I thought Athena's cheer camp was during the summer?" Olivia slid lower in her seat until the water was lapping at her chin. The top jet hit the base of her neck, rolling over the perpetual knot there.

"Hers is. The junior high squad is helping with pee-wee this year. I can take Lio, but I don't know if I'll be able to take the girls. It's almost the same time every night."

"It won't be better if you take Athena?" Olivia turned her head, barely able to see Fitz through the darkness.

"I think we need to stop giving her an out, Liv. You two need to fix things between you."

"I can't connect with her. Every time I try to explain things to her, she changes the subject."

"Maybe you should try connecting with her over something other than _your _situation or the past, Liv. Leave that to therapy. Take her with you if you want, but do it on a neutral ground."

"I'm not even sure I know her, Fitz." Olivia sighed, resting her check against the hard side of the hot tub.

"She loves animals and music. She prefers poetry when she reads and she wants to be a doctor. I would say that might change but she's been saying that since she was five. She and McKenna just had a big blowout. You might get her to talk to you about that."

"It always amazes me how close you two are."

"It's not just her, Liv. Lio loves basketball and wrestling. Michael Jordan, Lebron James, John Cena, and the Rock are his heroes. He says one day he'll be playing the NBA. Seph is like Ath in a way. She loves animals too. And painting. She'll paint all day if you let her." Fitz had a smile on his face as he finished and his eyes drifted toward the closed glass door that led into the family room. He could just barely glimpse Athena and Seph asleep on the sofa - curled under a thick blanket as the television cast a puddle of light over them. They'd fallen asleep watching Christmas movies - even though it was well past Christmas.

"You're a great dad, Fitz."

"We're their parents, Liv. We should know these things."

"Yeah…" Olivia glanced downward, frowning.

"Shit happens."

"I heard your conversation with Tiffani earlier. I -"

"Shit happens, Liv," Fitz repeated, turning his head to look at Olivia.

"I wasn't eavesdropping intentionally, Fitz. But if me moving out will help -"

"Liv, what happened - happened. I'm not going to make a special concession for her. The kids like having you here. I like seeing them all the time again."

"I don't want to be the reason you're not -"

"You aren't."

* * *

**"****Guess who tried getting a job with some small town in Iowa?" Eddie slammed the door to Fitz's office behind him, having invited himself into the room. **

"You're shitting me?" Fitz turned his paperwork over, face-down.

"He put me as a reference." Eddie shook his head.

"This is why you should have fired that asshole instead of letting him resign."

Eddie shrugged, sitting at the chair in front of Fitz's desk. He propped his boot-clad feet on the edge of the desk and reclined back in the chair, placing his linked hands behind his head.

"I can't believe Veerman let him walk."

"Veerman didn't want the publicity that placing a cop on trial would have brought." Fitz hit the spacebar on his keyboard a tad too hard. Jake's easy off was a sore topic.

"You think he'll ever be dumb enough to show his face around here again?"

"I would have said no, but then he put you as a reference…"

"He's not getting a chance at court if he shows his face again." Fitz's admission, some minutes later, brought a stunned reaction from Eddie.

"You'd really risk everything because -"

"Because of the way he treated my daughter, Eddie. Athena told me what was happening there. Luckily, he never did anything, but I don't believe for a minute that that creep wouldn't have tried something if he had had anymore time."

Finally, Fitz quit typing and peeked out from behind the monitor. The skin around his mouth tightened and his nostrils flared.

"Is that really it, Fitz?" Eddie raised a brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Olivia was the one who was physically and emotionally _and _financially hurt. I'm not saying he didn't say shit to Athena because it's Jake - of course it's possible. But you're threatening to kill the man if he ever shows his face here again when Olivia is the one he hurt."

"He hurt my kids, Eddie. Having to watch that shit, hurt them. And I don't want them thinking that you can be that way and get away with it." Fitz frowned, his cheeks reddening.

"I'm not saying that it didn't, man. I do question why you aren't also pissed at Liv for letting it happen. At one point, you would have found her just as guilty."

"We've both seen what it's like when women are abused, Eddie. We see it all the damn time. I can't blame Liv or anyone in that situation for being in it. It's -"

Eddie snorted, dropping his feet off the edge of Fitz's desk and standing from his chair. Walking around the chair, he placed his hand on the doorknob and looked over his shoulder at Fitz.

"Just admit it, Fitz. It's going to take a hell of a lot of work, but you still have feelings for her."

Eddie opened the door and all but fled the office before Fitz had a chance to respond.

* * *

"Hey dad." Fitz had both hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat as he trudged over the frozen ground leading to the big, red barn on his father's property. The hard ground crunched beneath his boot-clad feet.

Jerry stood just inside the barn, a power drill in his hand. Perfectly measured and meticulously cut boards lay scattered around the workbenches that lined the far wall.

"What are you doing here?" Jerry laid the drill down, wiping his hands on his jeans. He had taken up woodwork shortly after retiring.

"Just came to check on you." Fitz came closer, taking his hand from his pocket and running it across the smooth wood of the rocker his father was making.

"You never just stop by," Jerry chuckled, reaching for a rag and running it over the rocker on the table - swatting Fitz's hand out of the way in the process.

"I need advice, dad." Fitz pocketed his hands once more, dragging his feet across the concrete floor as he gave his father more space.

"Advice?"

"Ath's game just before Christmas...I think I met Olivia's dad."

Jerry slowly came to a halt, wrapping his hand around the rocking chair's frame and staring straight ahead. Knitting his brows together, he asked: "What makes you think that?"

"He was coaching the other team. Talked about how he left right after high school because of a bad relationship. He's the right age, dad and Pope isn't a very common last name."

"Did you mention Olivia's mom to him?"

"It hardly seemed appropriate. We were talking about the game. Bunch of kids around."

"Have you told Liv?" Jerry waited for Fitz to shake his head before sighing. "Don't you think you should?"

"She's got a lot going on right now -"

"And she should know about this. She should be the one deciding if this is something she wants to pursue or forget, son. You can't make that decision for her."

"What if he doesn't want anything to do with her?"

"You can't protect her forever. I know you want to because that's who you are. You're like your mom. You've got a big heart. But Liv's tough, Fitz. She'll be okay."

Letting go of the rocking chair, Jerry turned his back to the table and met Fitz's gaze. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Jerry leaned back against the table and waited for Fitz to speak.

"So you think I should tell her?"

"She has a right to know. Did he mention having a kid?"

"I don't think he knows." Fitz shook his head.

"He might surprise you, then. If I had a kid I didn't know about, I'd want to be part of their life. She needs more family - more people in her corner."

"I've -"

"No, Fitz. You have not been in her corner. You still blame her for what happened, which is understandable. But you won't allow her to talk with you. You won't hear her side of the story and you have not moved toward making amends with what happened."

Fitz swallowed, frowning at his father's words.

"She ruined -"

"It takes two, Fitz. Is she guilty? Yes, she is. Everyone has to take responsibility for their actions. The difference, though, is that she understands what she did is wrong. She understands why it happened and she is taking measures to ensure that it does not happen again. She has reconciled with her past actions and while she carries a tremendous amount of guilt surrounding said actions, she is also working toward trying to make amends. But now the ball's in your court. Are you going to allow her to make those amends? Are you going to make amends for _your _actions?"

Shaking his head, Fitz snorted and clapped his dad on the shoulder.

"God I hate when you go all psychiatrist on me."

* * *

**A/N - **This is a short chapter to get me back into the swing of things. Hopefully I can have a longer one up sometime this weekend. We'll delve more into what happened between Fitz and Tiffani and what Jerry meant by Fitz making amends for his actions. More than anything, this chapter was to show how Fitz is slowly having his eyes opened to the need for him to be more open during this process and quit running from his own feelings.

If there is a delay in updates, as I've mentioned on FB, it is because I have transitioned to a new role in my company supervising our ACT team. Monday through Friday, I am with patients who are schizophrenic, Bipolar I, or both and cannot function well within society because of their symptoms. Every other week, I am on call 24/7 in case a crisis occurs - typically due to some form of suicidal ideation. On top of that, I also have to review and sign-off on every unlicensed team member's client notes. So while I will still try to maintain a fairly regular update schedule, it may not always happen and on occasion, such as now, chapters may be shorter.

Until next time,

G.


	16. Motionless and Absolute

"Hi."

Fitz nodded toward the two teens straggling behind the rest of their peers. He rested his hands on his belt, watching the two students stuff their books in their backpacks before zipping the large bags. Both teens nodded toward Fitz as they left the room.

"Fitz, right? Or would you prefer I call you sheriff?" Eli Pope stood at the front of the classroom, his back to his desk and hands in his pockets. Facts about the Holy Roman Empire covered the dry-erase board - written in a surprisingly neat hand. Fitz smiled at the sight - if Eli really was Olivia's dad, he knew where she got her love of history from.

"Fitz is fine."

"So, what can I do for you today?"

"Just thought I'd stop by. I heard you had gotten the position."

"A welcome back to the community?" Eli chuckled. "You're a lot different from old Sheriff Bingham when I was younger."

"Oh yeah?" Fitz laughed, leaning against the doorframe.

"I can't tell you how many times me and my friends got into trouble with him. Always something stupid, too."

"Kids do some pretty stupid things."

"I think the dumbest thing we ever did was climb to the top of the old water tower the night of my senior prom. Just so I could paint my girlfriend's name up there. In my favourite shade of green - that way Maya knew I had done it."

Fitz snorted, shaking his head. There was the mention of Maya he had thought he would have to fish for.

"Is that why they tore that tower down when I was a kid?"

"They repainted it that summer," Eli laughed. "Good riddance, too. We broke up almost a week after graduation I think."

"You think?" Fitz tilted his head, raising his eyebrows.

"She refused to see me. I believe kids these days would call it 'ghosting'," Eli used air quotes around the word.

"You never found out why?"

Eli shook his head. "Never. You're awfully invested in this story. She a friend of yours?"

"I've never met Maya," Fitz admitted. "But Shelby was like a grandma to me."

"Shelby was a good woman. I hated to hear that she had passed."

"It was pretty bad at the end. She was diagnosed shortly before my wedding and passed before my oldest was born. It about killed my ex."

"They were close?"

"Shelby was the only family Liv had after Maya disappeared." Fitz watched Eli for a reaction. The older man tilted his head, frowning as his eyes widened.

"So Maya moved on? She had a kid?"

"She had a kid," Fitz nodded, using his shoulder to shove away from the doorframe. "It was nice talking to you, Eli. I've gotta go catch my kiddos."

"Why did you really stop by?" Eli called just as Fitz was taking a step out of the room. Fitz paused for a moment, shrugging his shoulders.

"Just to welcome you to the community, man."

And he kept going down the now empty hallway, whistling to himself. On his way out the door, he waved at the receptionist sitting behind thick glass in the main office. The same receptionist that had been there when he was in high school.

Outside, he pulled his coat tighter around his broad shoulders. The winter air was chilly. Waving to a couple kids tossing a football, Fitz walked across the parking lot and slid into his cruiser, turning the heat on full blast.

Back on the main road, he turned his radio up - nodding his head along to the rock station that was playing. He hadn't told Eli the truth when he had said that he needed to pick up his kids - Olivia had done that earlier. It was an excuse to talk to the man and learn the truth. Unfortunately, Fitz wasn't so sure that he liked the truth.

* * *

"Dr. Grant. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Dr. Freeland." Jerry extended his hand, shaking the other doctor's hand before following her through the locked door that led past the lobby.

In the spacious office the doctor led him to, Jerry sat at the chair in front of the metal desk. The other doctor took a seat behind her computer screen, her fingers going to her keyboard and typing away until she seemed to have found what she was looking for.

"Olivia has been doing well. I've started her on Depakote and Clozaril. Low doses thus far."

"Clozaril?" Jerry lifted a brow, extending his hand to take the printout that Dr. Freeland was holding toward him. "Why is she on Clozaril?"

"Based on what she has told Nathan in therapy -"

"Bipolar Disorder I with psychotic features," Jerry read, shaking his head as he scanned the front page of the thick packet he had been handed.

"Typically, I would not share everything in a patient's file so readily, but I feel comfortable that as a fellow psychiatrist, you are in a position to accurately read that file."

"You ruled out schizoaffective?" Jerry reached for a pen from the desk and began scribbling notes on the papers he held.

"I -Should I have?" The younger doctor tilted her head, frowning.

"Whenever psychosis is present in a patient with Bipolar Disorder, schizoaffective should always be ruled out." Jerry continued to flip through the pages in his hands, skimming the notes Dr. Freeland had made.

"I've never encountered a schizoaffective case."

"They're not as common. I will read the file more in depth later, but did she mention what form her symptoms took?"

"She has experienced some auditory and visual hallucinations. With the hallucinations, she was able to decipher that they were hallucinations. She only experienced this during her extensive period of mania a few years ago. I am more concerned with her lack of awareness and the delusions she experienced during that same period. Now, she understands that she was experiencing delusions at that time, but when I first started seeing her, she was convinced that all of these things had happened that had never happened."

Jerry tapped his finger against the papers, scanning one of the first notes Dr. Freeland had made. Furrowing his brows, he asked:

"You have access to my granddaughter's file?"

"Both Olivia and your son signed the ROI."

Jerry sighed, his shoulders sinking as he laid the papers across his lap and rubbed his eyes.

"Olivia never mentioned her psychotic symptoms."

"She's still processing," Dr. Freeland drummed her fingers against the desktop. "She has an immense amount of guilt. The failure of her marriage, choosing to stay with an abusive boyfriend, not being present for her children - she carries a lot of blame for herself. She still hasn't processed that mental illness is no one's fault. She didn't ask to be this way or give this to herself anymore than someone with a physical ailment."

"Have you discussed family sessions?"

"Olivia is open. From my brief interactions, I do not believe that Fitz or Athena are ready for that step just yet."

"Well, thank you for your time, Dr. Freeland." Jerry stood from his seat, clutching his ream of papers in one hand and extending the other to shake the doctor's hand.

* * *

"_Hey." _

_Fitz turned at the sound of Tiffani's voice. He shifted the box of cereal in his hands, glancing at his feet. It had been a few weeks since he had actually spoken to her. She looked like she was doing just fine. _

"_Hey." _

"_It's been a while. You've been avoiding my texs. And my calls." She narrowed her eyes, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. _

"_I've been busy."_

"_Katie asked how I've been handling our break-up." _

_Fitz chewed on his bottom lip, trying to picture Katie. She was one of Tiffani's friends, he knew, but he hadn't had much interaction with her. _

"_That's what you've been telling people? That we broke up?" Tiffani's eyes flashed as Fitz kept quiet. "You disappear. You don't answer my texts or calls and then you tell everyone that we broke up. Don't you think you should have at least tole me?"_

_Fitz sighed, tucking the cereal box beneath his arm and running a hand through his curls - messing the thick strands. _

"_We both knew this was going to happen. You wanted kids. The whole nine yards -"_

"_And you already had that," Tiffani snorted. "So that's it? You disappear because you're still in love with her?"_

"_I'm not -" Fitz began to protest, shaking his head. _

"_Yes you are. You move her in. You give her a car. You make sure she takes her medicine and goes to work. You are still in love with Olivia. You're just too bull-headed to see it." _

"_I'm not having this conversation with you." Grasping the box of cereal in his hand, Fitz began taking long strides down the aisle - trying to place as much distance between himself and Tiffani as possible. _

"_You're an ass. You two deserve each other." _

_Lifting his hand, Fitz raised his middle finger before turning to his left and leaving the aisle. He found Olivia and Seph by the produce. _

"_This what you wanted?" He held the Lucky Charms up, laughing at Seph's excited look. Placing the box in the cart, he took the metal cart from Olivia. _

"_I still have to grab some celery and we need fruit." _

"_Divide and conquer?"_

"_Divide and conquer," Olivia laughed, holding her hand and out and taking Seph's before disappering toward the vegetables. _

* * *

"I mean, it was a dick move." The tall skinny blonde shrugged her shoulders, placing one foot in front of the other as she slowly edged across the floating log on the pond.

"Are you really giving me break-up advice?" Fitz scoffed at the younger woman, crossing his arms over his chest. "One of these days, you're going to fall in."

"I've never ghosted someone." She shrugged, holding her arms out - the gold bracelet on her wrist catching the unusually bright sun's rays. "I guess if I do, good thing I have my big brother here to save me."

"Maybe I should have done it differently, Mercedes." Fitz edged ever closer to the rippling water, eyeing it warily. Having fallen into the frigid waters when he was a kid, he took extra precaution to avoid another frozen dip. His sister on the other hand…

"Ya think?" Mercedes spun around, quickly, to face her older brother. Her blue eyes sparkled and her curls tumbled down her back. "Only assholes ghost someone."

"_Okay_, Tiffani."

"Ha! You're just mad that she called you on your bullshit." Gingerly, Mercedes stepped off the log and onto dry ground. Her knee-high, purple Muck boots crunched over the frozen ground as she took the few short steps toward Fitz.

"Because it's _just _me."

"The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference."

"Where have I -? You and Athena kill me."

"It's a legitimate scientific study, dumbass," Mercedes shook her head, patting her brother on the back, "But yes it's in a song, too."

"Okay, Ms. Smarty-pants."

"Oh, brother." Mercedes rolled her eyes, wrapping her arm around her brother's shoulders. Both were naturally tall and Fitz was only a couple inches taller than her.

"What do I do, Sadie?" Fitz rested his head against his sister's, eyes travelling to the other side of the pond where a doe stood, taking a drink.

"What about therapy?"

"Sadie -"

"No, no. Hear me out. You've all been through absolute, total hell. It isn't your fault. It isn't Liv's fault. You both made questionable choices - look what you did when you found Jake with Liv! You practically beat the man to death right then. And Athena was in the house! He deserved it, don't get me wrong, but...holy fuck, bro. You guys have to move on though. Heal. Talk it through. You need to see a therapist first, though. You have some unresolved issues, too, Fitz. Neither one of you can fix anything or move on if you don't work on yourself first."

"So that's it. You're not doing the whole neurosurgeon thing anymore?"

"What?"

"You sounded like dad for a minute."

"Yeah well, I actually listened when he talked."

"Hm," Fitz drummed his fingers against Mercedes's arm, turning them around and starting the trek through the woods to their parents' home. "You might be right."

"Of course I am."

* * *

**A/N - **It's fascinating to see how many are team Olivia or team Fitz.

I've had a few people mention about taking sides: I am not taking either character's side in this story. We are not even close to the halfway point - there's still a lot that hasn't been said. Neither character was even close to being a saint on the show and they aren't in this story, either. Some chapters will make you hate one or the other or both. This isn't a black and white story - there is plenty of grey.

If you have time, listen to Forever by halsey. It's a pretty big clue to where we're at in the story.

Until next time,

Gabi

P.S. Mercedes is one of my favourite characters in this story xxx


	17. I'm Not Breaking

"Fitz!"

"He's not home right now." Olivia peeked her head around the wall, looking toward the door. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Fitz's younger sister standing halfway in the living room.

"Livvie!"

"Sadie!"

Both women squealed at the same time. Mercedes crossed the room in long strides, wrapping her arms around Olivia and squeezing tight. Olivia returned the hug, clasping her hands together behind Mercedes's back.

"It's been a long time," Mercedes commented, pulling away from Olivia and holding her at an arm's length. "You look good."

"Yeah, right," Olivia shook her head, laughing. "You though! You're as beautiful as ever."

"I am, aren't I?" Mercedes scrunched her nose, her eyes sparkling. Dropping her arm from Olivia, she followed the other woman into the kitchen.

"So how have you been? Finishing your degree?" Olivia rounded the island, grasping the wooden salad servers she had laid across the glass bowl on the counter.

"Finishing my residency," Mercedes corrected, gripping the edge of the island.

"Sorry. I've lost a bit of time lately."

"No need to apologise to me, Liv," Mercedes shrugged, watching as Olivia began tossing the salad mix in the clear, glass bowl. "Although I think we are long overdue for a girls' day."

Olivia smiled to herself, chewing thoughtfully on her bottom lip. "I never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth again."

"You mean because you called me a bitch and threw me out of your house when I told you that you needed to see a psychiatrist?" Mercedes smirked, her blonde hair swaying as she shook her head. "You weren't in the right state of mind. I told you that then and I don't blame you for what you said. I would have been fucking pissed off if someone told me I was crazy."

"You probably didn't deserve to have that stapler thrown at you though." Olivia bowed her head, her eyes shifting to the mixture in the bowl on the island as her hands slowed to a stop. She dropped the utensils in the bowl, letting them lean against the side.

"Luckily, you have shitty aim." The corners of Mercedes's eyes crinkled as she grinned, showing off her perfectly straight teeth.

"I don't deserve to have you in my life." Olivia's shoulders slumped, her eyes sliding to the stove as a musical tune filled the kitchen - indicating that the oven had preheated.

"We're all a little fucked up, Liv. I think that's something you and Fitz both need to understand. Everyone has done something completely messed up that they have to atone for." Mercedes lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, tucking her straightened strands behind her ear and exposing the silver rings in her ear.

"Well, not everyone thinks their husband is cheating and screws his…frenemy?"

"Oh girl -" Mercedes shook her head, twisting her lips, " - Fitz fucking hated Jake before you ever slept with him."

"He never mentioned that." Olivia's brows shot upward as she grabbed the glass pan of seasoned chicken from the counter behind her.

"Because you two absolutely suck at communicating. And Mellie was your friend. Fitz hated her, too, but he wasn't going to say that because she was your friend. Wherever Mellie went...her bitch-ass leech went, too." Mercedes watched as Olivia slid the pan into the oven, shutting the door and starting the timer. "But you two really need to hash this out. No third parties. That's how things get messy as hell."

"Fitz won't even talk to me." Olivia sighed, turning her back to the stove and moving back toward the island. "I've tried."

"That's because the two of you suck. At. Communicating." Mercedes crossed her arms, her right eyebrow raised and a close-lipped smile on her face - as if she were saying 'see?'

"My therapist suggested a family sessions -"

"Then do it if it will help you guys. Both of you need to be more proactive. Especially for your kids. Athena is practically drowning."

"She won't talk to me either." Olivia hung her head.

"Because she's fucking terrified!" Mercedes frowned when Olivia jumped at her raised tone. "I'm sorry, Liv. I just...Athena's heading down a dark path if you two don't step up for her. I know there are a lot of emotions and unfinished business between you and Fitz, but...Athena's going through similar shit. And she's too scared to mention it to either one of you."

"Have you told your brother?"

"If I told my darling brother what I just told you: how do _you_ think he would react?"

"Fair point. I'll try to talk to him. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Are you trying to change the topic?" Mercedes chuckled, "Don't mention to Ath that I said anything. She's still talking to me. I don't think either one of you would want her to suddenly stop talking to anyone."

"I won't tell her, Sadie. That kid adores you. More than she adores her father. She's a Grant through and through."

"Nah. She's got plenty of her momma in her, too. I've got one strong, stubborn, smart as hell siostrzenica." Mercedes walked around the island, patting Olivia on the back before heading toward the sink. With the water running and suds on her hands, she asked: "So, what do you have left to do?"

* * *

"It was nice getting to see Sadie." Olivia trudged alongside Fitz in the field, her boots sinking into the soft ground with each step. The cold weather had slowly given way to a slightly warmer February and more rain than anyone could ever recall at that time of year.

"She's looking at places nearby. She already has an offer from University." Fitz huffed, arms straining as he carried the large, blue feed trough up the muddy hill.

"Do you think she'll like teaching?" Olivia wondered, her boots squoshing as she stomped through the mud.

"I don't think Sadie knows what she likes," Fitz chuckled, dropping the feed trough on a grassy, less muddy swatch of land. He spent a few minutes adjusting the trough before he seemed to notice that Olivia was no longer by his side. Turning around, laughter rumbled from his chest when he saw Olivia struggling to pull her boot free from the mud.

"I can't move," Olivia laughed, her knee jerking as she strained to move her foot even an inch. She only succeeded in slinging mud up her leg.

"I told you not to follow me," Fitz reminded her, trekking back down the hill until he was standing in front of her. Placing his hands on her hips, Fitz gave her time to sink her fingers into his shoulders before he began pulling. "Damn did you get yourself stuck."

"I don't know how," Olivia laughed, "I was following yo -"

Fitz gave one strong pull, sending him backward onto his butt. Instinctively, Olivia reached her arms out - landing on top of Fitz and sinking elbow deep into the cool ground. They sat there for a moment, shaking their heads, before their eyes met and laughter filled the air.

"I'll get up."

"You lost your boots." Fitz pointed toward her now bare feet hovering an inch above the ground.

"I'll just have to brave it."

"There's no point in you getting muddier than you have to. And this mud is cold af." Fitz shook his head, shooting her down. Wrapping his arms around her once more, he struggled to his feet - sliding and nearly falling once more on the way up.

"Cold af? You've been hanging around Ath and Sadie too much," Olivia giggled, her legs dangling - but not quite touching the ground.

"Gotta stay relevant." He glanced at her boots, tilting his head. "I think we'll get those in the morning. When there's a little more light."

"We're a mess," Olivia laughed once they were out of the field and trudging back toward the house.

"An absolute mess." Fitz's tune, while still playful, held an underlying double meaning. One that gave Olivia pause as he gently sat her on her feet on the cold concrete of the front porch.

"Sadie thinks we're bad at communicating." Olivia turned her back to Fitz after uttering that sentence, busying herself with finding the slides that she always left near the door. Finding them, she slid them onto her cool feet as Fitz began speaking:

"She's not wrong," Fitz shrugged, kicking out of his boots. "I've been thinking about the family session your psychiatrist mentioned. I don't think Ath's ready for it, but I am willing to go if you set it up."

"I will."

Fitz gave a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before patting her gently on the shoulder. "You go on in and take a shower first."

Fitz rested his arms on the railing of the porch, leaning against the wood as he stared up at the starry sky - barely registering the opening and closing of the door as one of the neighbor's dogs barked in the background.

* * *

**A/N - **Mercedes and Olivia have an interesting relationship. Much like Big Jerry, Mercedes tends to be the voice of reason. Unlike Big Jerry, Sadie is 100% chaotic good. She will be present more as the story goes on.

Olivia and Fitz are slowly, _slowly_ making progress forward. There are a lot of emotions in place here - from all sides. One side sees the other as the problem and vice versa. Add to that is the guilt that both sides feel, to an extent, because they know they played a part in the events of the past.

Siostrzenica is Polish for niece. I wanted Fitz's family to occasionally use the native language of their family's "home" country. It hasn't been mentioned yet, but Fitz's grandfather was from Poland. Kudos to anyone who gets the connection for that decision.

I hope all of you are staying safe! And to my fellow healthcare workers, I send up a prayer for you every night. All you badasses stay safe.

Until next time,

G.


	18. Flying Down the Highway

"How? How do you do that?" Athena's gaze was fixed on her aunt as Mercedes balanced on her all-too-familiar floating log in her father's pond.

"Balance, Ath." Mercedes wore a grin on her face, her eyes sparkling while the breeze blew her hair back and tugged at the white, jean jacket she was wearing. Raising her arms, the yellow shirt she wore lifted just enough from the black, Calvin Klein jeans to reveal the belly button piercing she kept secret from her parents and brother.

"When are you getting your tattoo?"

"I don't know yet," Mercedes dropped her arms, bringing her hands to the hem of her shirt and lifting it just enough to look at the bare skin near her belly button. "You still coming with me?"

"Duh. I designed it. I get to see it happen."

"Did you tell your dad?" Mercedes dropped her shirt and held her hands out toward her niece. Athena hesitated for a moment before edging closer to the log and taking a small, tentative step onto it. She placed her hands in her aunt's - gripping hard.

"No! Dad would freak out if he knew you were getting a tattoo. Just like he'd freak if he knew about all your piercings." Athena smirked, eyes widening.

"You're lucky you're the oldest, you know that?"

"You always tell me that my dad's gonna be protective of me anyway."

"Oh he is, Ath," Mercedes laughed, "But imagine your dad _and _brother being like that. Lio's younger - he'll have your back but he's not going to be over the top."

"It's not like you're a kid, Mercy."

"Child, child, child," Mercedes shook her head. "Back to that one?"

"It's not my fault I couldn't say Mercedes when I was little."

"No, but I think we can drop Mercy."

"Nah. It fits you." Athena shrugged, squealing when she felt the log shift under her feet. "Okay. I'm getting off this now."

Laughing, Mercedes followed Athena off the log. Turning on the bank, the two stood side-by-side and watched the ripples move along the pond.

"You've never chickened out before."

"If it was warmer I wouldn't have." Athena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, drawing Mercedes's attention.

"I miss your natural colour."

"You dye yours," Athena pointed out, shrugging.

"Because mine is boring. Yours is like your dad's - golden brown. It's pretty." Mercedes bent, prodding through a pile of rocks by her feet. Finding a smooth, flat rock, she straightened and bent her arm.

"Show off," Athena muttered as Mercedes released the stone from her hand, both watching as it skipped one, two, three times before sinking.

"What would you think about hiking next weekend? We could go up to Eagles Point."

"Hiking?" Athena crossed her arms, raising a brow. "Just us?"

"Or your mom, too." Mercedes tilted her head to the side, glancing at Athena from the corner of her eye.

"Why?" Athena chewed on her bottom lip, dragging the toe of her boot through the soft ground - making long, deep tracks in the mud.

"I thought it would be something fun for us, Ath. A girls' day. Whaddya think?"

"No Seph or mamaw?"

"Do you really want to drag a five year old on a hike?" Mercedes laughed. "We can ask my mom if you want."

"Nah…" Athena sighed, dropping her arms and resting her gaze on the pile of rocks between herself and Mercedes. Twisting, bending at the waist and picking a smooth rock of her own, Athena spoke: "I guess we can give it a shot. A whole day of crazy. Yay."

* * *

"Olivia, how are you doing?" Dr. Freeland extended her hand, shaking Olivia's before gesturing for her to have a seat.

"Better. Thanks to you."

"That's good to hear," Dr. Freeland smiled, turning her attention to the man lurking behind Olivia. "It's nice to finally meet in person, Fitzgerald."

"Fitz," he corrected, shaking the doctor's hand and eyeing the empty chair beside Olivia. After a moment's hesitation, he took the seat.

"Have you ever met with a psychiatrist before?" Dr. Freeland's question was directed toward Fitz as she took a seat behind her desk.

"Not in this position," Fitz shook his head, grinning.

"Right. Dr. Grant is your father."

"Did you meet with Jerry?" Olivia interrupted, wrapping her hands around the armrests and leaning forward eagerly.

"I did. I shared all the information you asked for me to share."

"Thank you." Olivia turned toward Fitz, "I signed a release for your dad. He…"

"Understands this better than either of us," Fitz finished for her, keeping his attention on the doctor.

"Before we get started," Dr. Freeland interjected, turning the conversation away from Jerry's involvement with Olivia's treatment, "and this will be redundant for you, Olivia, we need to discuss confidentiality and expectations."

"Of course," Fitz agreed.

"As I have stressed with Olivia, our meetings are confidential. I cannot share what is said in these sessions unless you have signed a release giving me permission to do so and, even then, it is only with the individual for whom you have signed a release. With that said, there are a few exceptions to that rule. I am a mandated reporter. If I witness or suspect child abuse, I am required to report that. Our state also has a duty to protect clause. This means that if I suspect you are a threat to yourself or others, I must take all measures to warn those individuals who would need that information. Any questions?"

Dr. Freeland waited just long enough for both Olivia and Fitz to shake their heads before launching into her next spiel.

"If, at the end of today's session, you decide to stick with family sessions: I will be referring you to Nathan -"

"Why aren't we seeing him today?" Fitz interrupted. "Olivia's already seeing him."

"I wanted to discuss the medical aspect of Olivia's condition prior to a therapy session," Dr. Freeland answered. "Nathan and I both work for the same company. Prior to receiving my medical license, I was an LMFT. I can provide counselling, but that isn't typically what they like to see me do here."

"Understandable. Please, continue." Fitz gestured with an open hand.

"Typically, a period of the session will be the two of you together and then Nathan will speak to each of you individually. At any point, you may terminate therapy sessions."

"I was under the impression this would be a discussion of Olivia's diagnoses." Fitz crossed his arms, his feet spread wide apart - sending a clear message with his all-too-familiar 'power pose'.

"We will," Dr. Freeland promised, "Though Olivia had spoken as though you were also interested in joint therapy sessions."

"You said Sadie was right," Olivia noted as Fitz turned his gaze on her. "We suck at communicating. Don't you think we owe it to the kids to try to fix that?"

"So therapy, Liv?"

"Therapy." Olivia nodded, shrinking in her chair and holding her breath until Fitz sighed.

"What else?" Fitz questioned, turning toward the doctor once more.

"I need you to sign these forms -" Dr. Freeland pushed two identical sheets of paper toward Olivia and Fitz. Reaching for a couple pens, she placed one on each sheet. "Then we can begin."

* * *

"Isn't it early for them?" Athena nodded toward the large bird circling a tree in the distance. Both Olivia and Mercedes followed her gaze, shielding their eyes with their hands. It was a bright, clear day.

"No. They stay here year 'round," Olivia answered, watching the eagle settle in the barren tree below.

"It's in the name, Ath." Mercedes edged toward the dropoff near the end of the cliff. Her eyes dropped down, watching the water flow along the river banks at the bottom of the ravine.

"What's so interesting?" Athena ignored her aunt's comment, stomping toward Mercedes's side. Her eyes fell to the ravine, scanning the area. "It's beautiful. Mom, come see."

"I can see from over here." Olivia kept a safe distance from where Athena and Mercedes stood, her back against the tree that stood dead centre atop the cliff.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Athena turned her head toward her mother, a playful smile on her lips.

"I can't believe you're not, you little daredevil." Even at a distance, Olivia's knees were shaking and her eyes were wide - quickly flitting around the ground at her feet.

"It's not even scary," Athena sighed, waiting for Mercedes to turn around before wrapping her arm around Mercedes's waist. They waited for Olivia to dig her phone out of her pocket before plastering large grins on their faces.

"Come on, Liv. I'll take a few of you and Athena," Mercedes offered, as she dropped her hands from over Athena's eyes. They had decided on a couple 'funny' pictures, too.

"I'm good over here."

"Wow," Athena shook her head. Stomping across the small distance to where Olivia stood, she turned beside her mom. Crossing her arms, she called to her aunt: "Come on Sadie! It's getting cold."

"At least act like you like each other." Mercedes unlocked her phone, holding it in front of her. "You look like you just randomly bumped into each other."

"You are so embarrassing." Athena grinned, placing her arm across her mom's shoulders.

"You mean your aunt's more embarrassing than your mom?" Olivia joked, resting her head against Athena's and grinning as Mercedes snapped a photo.

"I don't know...it's a pretty close tie."

"Thanks for letting me join you guys," Olivia said, keeping her arm around Athena a moment longer as they both watched the eagle take flight once more in the distance.

* * *

"How? How is that…? Never mind." Sadie shook her head, reaching for her glass and frowning at the bitter taste of the whisky. Placing her glass back on the coffee table, she placed her hands on the couch behind her and shoved off - standing.

"Like you can do it better," Fitz taunted, switching places with his sister. Lowering himself to the floor, he sipped at his scotch.

"Well I wouldn't act out the Titanic like that." Mercedes frowned, reaching for a piece of paper from the baseball cap that sat on the table. Scanning the paper, she balled it up and tossed it onto the table with the rest.

"He never was very good at acting," Olivia giggled, her cheeks red. She had already consumed more than her fair share - going a little overboard on her first alcoholic drinks in months.

"Ouch." Reaching out, Fitz playfully shoved at Olivia's shoulder.

"Children, children," Mercedes chided. "Ready, Liv?"

"Yep. 30 seconds." Olivia hit the start button on the timer she had set up on her phone.

Tilting her head, Mercedes appeared to think for a moment before squatting.

"Frog?" Olivia questioned.

Nodding and pointing at her former sister-in-law, Mercedes then held her hands out like she was holding a dress. At the confused look on Olivia's face, Mercedes placed her hands together in a triangle and held it atop her head.

"The Princess and the Frog?" Olivia asked.

"Correct!" Mercedes clapped, turning toward her brother and hitting his back. "And that's how you play."

"Movie titles was a dumb category," Fitz grumbled, the ice in his drink clinking against the glass.

"You're just saying that because you're losing." Mercedes shrugged, settling back into the floor beside Fitz.

"Am I though?" Fitz smirked, glancing at Olivia from the corner of his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mercedes wondered, following Fitz's gaze just as Olivia stood to take her turn.

* * *

**A/N - **Mercedes is a bit of a catalyst for everyone to move forward with their lives - to actually speak with each other. She's unique compared to most other characters in this story as she generally has a decent relationship with all of them.

Olivia and Fitz will soon start their 'family' therapy sessions. Clearly, Dr. Freeland wasn't going to be the one to conduct those sessions. I didn't write it as a scene because I didn't feel the need to reiterate what has already been said, but all she did was explain Olivia's disorder to Fitz.

Until next time,

Gabi


	19. Double-Blind

"_Because you cheated!" _

Those words hung in the air, charged. Heated. Fitz's eyes shone, his cheeks reddened, and his hands shook. Olivia sat in the corner, her eyes downcast and hands twisting in her lap. They had slowly been building to Fitz's outburst.

"Have the two of you ever discussed what led to Olivia's affair?" Nathan adjusted his tie, raising a brow as he waited for either one to speak.

"We…"

"I found her in bed with the bastard," Fitz spat, interrupting Olivia's attempt at answering the therapist's question. "I left work early to pick up our daughter. Our _sick _daughter. The school had tried calling Olivia. She didn't answer. So I got Athena."

"I had -"

"She had taken Seph to my mom's. I wasn't the only one who heard them. Athena was there - she heard Olivia _yelling _his name."

"Mellie told me you were cheating. That's why you were never home. I believed her. I...it was easy to believe her. I told her everything. She was supposed to be my friend. She knew all my fears. She knew what I was thinking and that I didn't trust what I was thinking. Until she convinced me that I should." Tears fell down Olivia's face - streaking hotly down her cheeks. Her eyes burned, vision blurred. Nails dug into the cloth of the chair she sat on.

"Why would you believe Mellie?"

"She was my friend, Fitz! You would believe Eddie if he told you -"

"Eddie isn't a vindictive bitch!" Fitz slammed his palm onto the arm of the chair. Standing, he paced the room, his fingers tugging at the thick curls atop his head.

"Hindsight, Fitz! You were gone all the damn time and I needed a friend. Mellie was that friend. I didn't know her reasoning for being my friend. I just knew that for once, someone listened to me." Olivia's body shook with each breath she took, her breathing coming in short, quick puffs.

"After everything she had done to us and our friends when we were in school, you were willing to _listen _to her?" He dropped his hands from his hair, stopping in front of her chair.

"Well she was the only one listening to me! You sure weren't." Olivia crossed her arms under her chest, sniffling as her tears finally began to slow.

"And that makes it all better that you fucked Jake?"

"Okay. Okay." Nathan stood from his seat, placing himself between the two feuding exes. Holding his arms out, he glanced from Olivia to Fitz. "Okay?"

Sighing, Fitz walked around the therapist and flopped down into his vacant seat. Placing his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward and held his head in his hands.

"I never said it before, Fitz, but I'm sorry," Olivia whispered, her eyes following Nathan as he angled himself to be in between the two once more. "If I could do it all over again, I would. I should have seen someone when Sadie told me too, but fighting the paranoia...the irrational thoughts...I couldn't do it alone. I fucked up. I know."

"I think that's enough for today," Nathan decided.

"You did," Fitz spoke as Olivia bowed her head, chewing on her lip. "But so did I."

* * *

"What do we need next?" Eleanor stopped beside Seph, her gaze travelling to the cookbook on the counter.

"One egg," Seph proudly stated, giving a toothless grin. She had lost her both her top, front teeth that week.

"Hmm," Eleanor hummed, moving around the step stool Seph had dragged to the counter and retrieving an egg from the refrigerator.

"What are we doing in here?" Jerry questioned, entering the kitchen with a basketball under his arm and Lio by his side.

"Seph and I decided to bake cookies," Eleanor smiled, handing the mixing spoon to Seph. "Who won?"

"It was a tie," Lio admitted, "We played pig so many times."

"He won some. I won some." Jerry shrugged, rounding the island to give Eleanor a peck on the cheek. "Where's Athena?"

"She and your daughter had somewhere to go. They wouldn't say where." Eleanor reached for the cookie sheet behind her, placing it near the mixing bowl Seph was working over.

"Well, it is someone's birthday," Jerry winked.

"They better not. I told everyone no gifts." Eleanor frowned, glancing into the mixing bowl. "That's good, Seph."

"You know your children are going to anyway," Jerry grinned, half-heartedly tossing the basketball to Lio.

"They're like their father. They never listen." Eleanor had her hand over Seph's, helping her drop dollops of cookie dough on the baking sheet.

"Strong willed, Ellie. And they got it in spades from both of us."

"Poor kids," Eleanor laughed, taking the spoon from Seph and gesturing toward the sink. Letting the spoon clink inside the bowl, Eleanor grabbed the cookie sheet and turned toward the oven.

"One of the basketball coaches we're training with has the same last name as mom," Lio casually observed, sliding onto one of the barstools and cradling the basketball on his lap.

"Oh?" Eleanor asked, shutting the oven door and turning the timer on.

"Yeah. He's nice. Really good at basketball," Lio continued as Eleanor and Jerry shared a look over their grandson's head.

* * *

"That is so freaking cool!" Athena sat in the passenger seat of Mercedes's car, staring at the stormy tattoo she had just uncovered. The swirling, dark clouds resembling a storm brewing graced Mercedes's flat, toned stomach. It was a simple tattoo, but - as the artist whose work was copied for the tattoo, Athena knew it had a deeper meaning. _Hurricane _was her aunt's anthem. Halsey was their favourite singer - one they had bonded over to the point that Athena had finally felt like she wasn't alone. If no one else understood her, at least her aunt did.

"It's a flawless design, Ath." Mercedes grinned, dropping her shirt back into place and clicking her seatbelt. The seatbelt flew past her ear, clanking against the side of the door. "Let's go find your grandmother a present."

"She's going to kill us," Athena giggled, shutting her door behind her and waiting for the _beep_ as Mercedes hit the lock button on her keys.

"I wouldn't let anyone hurt you," Mercedes cooed, wrapping her arms around Athena and squeezing tightly.

"You would so run from mamaw." Athena laughed, linking her arm around her aunt's waist and matching her strides toward the store.

"Only because she's _mean_," Mercedes confided, shivering as a blast of cold air blew past them.

"It's because she likes dad more," Athena stated, referencing the many times Mercedes had sworn that her brother was their mother's favourite.

"Your dad is so spoiled."

"What are we getting mamaw?" Athena asked just as they entered the warm store. A few hearts dotted the store here and there in preparation of Valentine's Day. Glancing at her aunt, Athena smirked when Mercedes rolled her eyes. She loathed Valentine's Day - thought it was overrated, 'a greeting card holiday'. There was another, more personal reason, but Athena was pretty sure she was the only one who knew it.

"She wants a mixer."

"A KitchenAid? She wants one of the turquoise ones."

"I know. We'll pick out some things for you, Lio, and Seph to give her, too."

* * *

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear….

...Mom…

...Mamaw…

...Ellie…

Happy birthday to you!"

Voices fought over one another as they sang to Eleanor - her name jumbled with the exclamations of 'mamaw' and 'mom'. Despite her protests, a smile graced her lips as she closed her eyes and blew out the two candles on her cake. The flowery design had been a welcomed surprise. Although they hadn't mentioned it, Olivia and Fitz clearly were not happy with one another. It was the subtle things: the way they would meet each other's gaze and instantly look away or the frown that would cross Olivia's face when Fitz spoke. Subtle things that didn't get past Jerry. He was amazed that they had picked out a cake together.

"Can she open her presents before we have cake?" Lio inquired, eyes sparkling. For Lio, seeing reactions from others as they opened their presents was more fun than having cake. Jerry ruffled the kid's hair as he smiled - he could relate.

"Sure," Mercedes agreed, following Athena to the dining room and returning with Eleanor's presents.

"Here, mom." Mercedes heaved the medium-sized, gold-wrapped box onto the counter before her mother.

"Sadie," Eleanor smiled, tearing the paper from the box. "You didn't have to...This isn't cheap."

"Anything for my momma," Sadie smiled, pecking the older woman on the cheek before clearing the wrapping paper from the counter.

Eleanor made her way through the other presents: accessories for her new mixing bowl from her grandkids, a bracelet from Jerry, and, finally, to a large, silver-wrapped box that was sat before her.

"From Fitz and Livvie," Eleanor read from the card atop the box, smiling at the two before turning a discreet, raised brow toward her husband. Jerry shrugged: they were getting along well enough to purchase presents together. "It's been a while since I've gotten a present from both of you."

"We hope you like it, mom," Fitz spoke.

Eleanor tore at the paper. Biting her lip, she pulled the brass windchimes from the box, holding them aloft for everyone to see - and hear. Handing them to Jerry, she pulled the tall, square glass full of small pebbles, water, and a vibrant, green bamboo plant.

"Guys…" Eleanor's voice shook.

"The bamboo was Olivia's idea," Fitz was quick to add.

"I am so lucky." Eleanor stood from her seat, throwing her arms around Sadie before glancing at the rest of the room's occupants. "Come on. All of you."

**XXXXX**

"Fitz, can I talk to you?" Jerry asked, glancing out the kitchen window at Olivia, Sadie, and Eleanor attempting to hang the windchimes she had received from the ceiling of the porch.

"Yeah?" Fitz placed the plates he had collected in the sink, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his father.

"You went to therapy with her today?"

"Yeah," Fitz rubbed at the back of his neck. "We had quite the fight."

"You'll have a few of those if you stick with it. The two of you never hashed anything out. Just bottled it in. Took it out on each other in the most passive-aggressive way possible. You need to yell at each other. Get it out."

"We need to yell?" Fitz raised a brow, shaking his head, and turned the hot water on, rolling up his sleeves.

"You can't move forward if you still hold resentment for each other. You can't move forward if you don't discuss what happened and address that anger both of you still hold. You do want to move forward, don't you?" Jerry glanced at Fitz, shouldering the younger man toward the other side of the double sink and reaching for a washcloth.

"I don't know, dad."

"I think you do," Jerry stated, squeezing some Dawn beneath the steady, warm stream of water before dipping the washcloth into the water. "You wouldn't insist on her staying at your house. You wouldn't be picking out presents together. You wouldn't be going to therapy. Not if you didn't know where this was going. Or at least have an idea of where you want it to go."

"She needs help, dad. After Jake...someone just needed to step up." Fitz insisted, taking a clean plate from his father and swiveling the faucet to his side of the sink.

"You just keep telling yourself that, son." Jerry smirked, his eyes travelling to the three women in front of the mirror - talking to each other.

* * *

**A/N - **One therapy session down and so, so many more to go. A double-blind is a type of experiment where neither the participants nor the experimenter knows who is receiving which treatment. Essentially, it is impossible for either to tell what results will come from the study. It felt fitting.

There is a song thrown in here: _Hurricane_. I am one-hundred percent a melomaniac. I use music to express myself and my characters and will drop songs/lyrics here and there as a hint to someone's background or what is to come. _Hurricane _is a hint to Sadie's past.

Guest: Speaking as both a patient and a mental health professional, Olivia can still drink alcohol while on Depakote. The only time a MH patient will be asked not to drink alcohol would be if there are serious side effects with their medication should the two be mixed (there aren't with Depakote) or if there is a hx of substance abuse.

Until next time,

Gabi


	20. Dirt and Dust

"We were actually starting to talk." Fitz rubbed his hand over his face, flopping back into his desk chair. The chair rolled back a few inches, hitting the wall behind the desk. Allowing his head to fall back against the cushioned chair, he groaned in frustration.

"Did she say anything before you left?" Eddie questioned from across the room. Fitz sighed, allowing his hands to fall to the armrests of his chair, and looked toward his friend. Eddie was leaning against the closed door, a can of Red Bull in his hand.

"We were both avoiding what had happened," Fitz admitted.

"So you quit talking...again." Eddie shook his head, bringing his Red Bull to his mouth and drinking slowly. Swallowing, he dropped the hand holding his energy drink to his side and continued with his observation. "That's...healthy."

"We have therapy this evening. We'll talk about it there. With a neutral party." Fitz frowned, using his feet to pull his chair closer to his desk. Placing his hands on his keyboard, he typed his password and watched as his home screen slowly came into focus.

"You're still going to go? Is _she _still going to go?" Eddie asked, crossing the room and plopping into the chair across from Fitz's desk, sitting his drink on the edge of the wooden desk.

"This isn't the time for either one of us to skip a session."

"That's good," Eddie agreed, "You two need to talk about this because holy shit."

"Is that your official response to the amount of fuck up we managed?" Fitz tilted his head, peeking his head around the monitor and raising a brow in his friend's direction. Eddie snorted, saved from responding by the sound of the radio in the corner of the room.

"10-00."

Fitz and Eddie shared a look for a moment before both were springing out of their seats and heading for the door. Eddie, reaching the door before Fitz, turned the knob and slung the door open. Fitz was hot on Eddie's heels out the door and down the hallway toward the front of the building. The lobby was a bustling hub of activity - deputies were moving about in a blur in all different directions.

"Sheriff?" Stephen questioned, appearing at Fitz's side.

"Where are they?" Fitz demanded, digging in his pocket for the keys to his patrol car.

"Up on Swamp. Do you want me to -"

"We'll assess when we get there," Fitz shot his deputy down. He knew what Stephen was most likely suggesting - calling in the SWAT team.

"Want me to come?"

"If you want to, Eddie." Fitz was heading toward the door, keys in hand, when Eddie responded:

"Yeah. I do."

* * *

"I'm sorry...you what?" Sadie tossed her blonde locks over her shoulder, her blue eyes widening with shock.

"I just...I don't know, Sadie," Olivia exhaled, holding her head in her hands. "We've actually been doing good these last two months. Haven't missed any sessions. There's considerably less yelling -"

"And you seem to be doing a lot better now that you're going to therapy and taking your medication," Sadie acknowledged, "But this…"

"Seems like a setback? I agree."

"Maybe not if you two talk it through. Acknowledge what happened and work past it."

"I'm bringing it up tonight at therapy," Olivia stated, dropping her hands onto the counter and wrapping them around her sweating glass of iced, sweet-tea, "I don't know if he will want to talk about it, but we need to."

"See? That's growth, sis!" Mercedes reached across the island, slapping Olivia's shoulder playfully. "I'm proud of you."

"That makes one of us…"

"Hey! No self-deprecation when I'm here."

"Sadie?"

"Yeah?"

"You self-deprecate all the time."

"Yeah, but I'm not serious when I do it," Mercedes winked, sipping her tea. "Or am I?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, chuckling. "How are things with you? I feel like I'm constantly unloading on you and -"

"Hey, you need to talk and that's okay," Mercedes shrugged. "I'm good. Everything's great. How about you? How have your classes been?"

"Crazy. I feel like I'm always going. But in a good way," Olivia was quick to explain, holding her hands out in front of her to quell the look Mercedes had thrown her way. "Athena even asked me to help her with a history paper."

"Is she doing better? I spoke to her a few nights ago about going to therapy with the two of you."

"Yeah," Olivia smiled, "She is. She's -"

The sound of the phone interrupted the two, prompting Olivia to hold a single finger in the air.

"Hold that thought," she chuckled, turning her back to Mercedes and reaching for her phone on the counter.

"Hey, Jerry," Olivia greeted, her smile instantly turning to a frown as she spoke, briefly, with her ex-father-in-law. Hanging up the phone, she turned to face Mercedes.

"Can you get the kids from school?"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know," Olivia admitted. "Something with Fitz...I just. Your dad asked me to meet him at the hospital."

"What?" Mercedes's eyes widened and and she shoved away from the counter.

"I don't know, Sadie. I'll call you."

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll pick up the kids and then I'll meet you there."

* * *

"Olivia!" Ellie's voice was full of panic when Olivia entered the large, clean hospital waiting room. Accepting the hug from the older woman, Olivia asked:

"What's going on?"

"We responded to a call this morning for back-up."

Olivia twisted her head at the sound of Eddie's voice. It was then that she noticed the various deputies filling the room - and a handful of town cops as well. Raising a hand to her mouth, she shook her head - her chest tightening as she anticipated what was to come.

"Some kid had barricaded himself in his apartment. One of my officers was down. When we got there, Fitz and Stephen tried to get my officer to a place where the paramedics could work on him. That's when both Fitz and Stephen were shot."

"He's in surgery, but the doctors are hopeful," Jerry informed her.

"What about Stephen?" Olivia wondered, thinking of the younger deputy who had become Fitz's friend over the years he had been in office.

"It was...it was instant, Liv. Someone's informing Lisa and the boys now."

* * *

"Where's mom?" Athena questioned, opening the door and sliding into the front seat of Mercedes's car. Dropping her backpack in the floor at her feet, she snapped her seatbelt into place before glancing over her shoulder at her brother and sister.

"Aunt Sadie won't say," Seph complained, her gaze fixated on the screen of Mercedes's phone.

Taking a deep breath, Mercedes turned her head to glance at Athena. "She's at the hospital. With your dad."

"Has their therapy not been going as well as they say it is? Did they try to kill each other?" Athena smirked, reaching for the dial on the radio.

"No," Mercedes shook her head, covering the dial with her own hand. "We're not listening to the radio."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to hear the speculations and inaccurate details that they're giving out."

"What are you talking about?" Athena questioned, pushing her elbow into the seat as she turned sideways toward her aunt. "You're freaking me out, Sadie."

"Your dad was...injured when he responded to a call this morning. We're going to go to the hospital now."

"Injured? He was shot?" Athena's mouth fell open, panic crossing her face.

"Ath," Mercedes attempted to appeal to the girl. "Can we save the freaking out until your brother and sister aren't with us? When it's just the two of us, you can yell and cry all you want. I really need you to be strong right now."

Swallowing hard, Athena nodded her head.

"Let's...let's go."

* * *

"We didn't even talk this morning," Olivia stated, falling into the seat by Jerry. Her eyes wandered to Ellie across the room - standing at the vending machine and staring at her choices. She'd been there for a while now. Long enough that Olivia was beginning to wonder if one of them should check on her. It didn't take that long to pick something to drink.

"I know that's a stupid comment. We've gone three years without really speaking. That was starting to change though and then…"

"Why didn't you talk?" Jerry questioned, his gaze focused on his wife.

"It's a long story," Olivia admitted, glancing down at her hands.

"We have the time," Jerry pointed out, turning his head to look at her. Sensing his stare, Olivia lifted her gaze from her lap and met his.

"We did something pretty stupid. I think you'd agree."

"Try me."

"I warned you…"

* * *

_The sound of chirping birds floated through the open window on the cool, spring breeze. Early April sunlight bathed the bed, combatting the chill breeze cooling Olivia's exposed back. The pillow was soft against her cheek, sheets warm around her body. Olivia yawned, licking her dry lips, and rolled onto her back. Tossing her hand to the side, she frowned when she didn't connect with the round nightstand she typically left her phone on at night. _

_Bringing a fist to her eye, Olivia rubbed at the sleep still heavy in her eyes. Her mouth was uncomfortably dry - tongue heavy, and her head hurt. Game night with the Grant clan had been fun, but those tequila shots were coming back to haunt her. Yawning once more, she slowly opened her eyes and winced as the sunlight greeted her. Turning her head to the side, she frowned. _

"_What happened to the nightstand?" she wondered. "And where's my phone?"_

"_I think you left it on the couch."_

_The gravelly, sleep-filled voice had both occupants bolting upright in the bed. Olivia hurriedly reached for the sheets before they could fall from her body and clutched them to her chest. Taking deep, heaving breaths, Olivia turned her head to find Fitz staring at her. Under different circumstances, she could have lost herself in the sight of his unruly curls and muscled chest - apparently he hadn't given up on working out. These were not normal circumstances, though. _

"_We…" Fitz looked like a deer caught in the headlights, his hand slapping against his forehead as Olivia answered:_

"_We did. We…we…" Olivia shook her head, the memories of the night before rushing back. The tequila, the thinly veiled flirting that had been occurring over the last two months since they had stared therapy, saying goodbye to Ellie and Jerry before Sadie and Athena disappeared to Ath's room for their sleepover, and the midnight soak in the hot tub that had led to more shots. And those shots…those shots had led to kissing and then…this._

"_Liv, I…" Fitz floundered, opening and closing his mouth without any sound. _

"_Yeah, I…I'm just going to go." _

_Carefully, Olivia tossed her legs over the bed - keeping the bottom sheet wrapped tightly around her body. Standing from the bed, she stopped for a moment when her foot landed on the still-damp bikini bottoms she had been wearing the previous night. Shaking her head and rolling her shoulders, she continued toward the door. _

"_I'll see you at therapy?" Fitz questioned. _

"_Definitely," Olivia agreed before slipping through the door and practically running away. _

* * *

"We all mess up, Olivia. It's in our nature."

"I think 'messing up' is an understatement," Olivia sighed.

"You did something stupid. You _both _did something stupid. But that doesn't take away from the fact that you've been working hard to repair your relationship and I would even say that the two of you have slowly become friends."

"Yeah," Olivia smiled, "I would say so, too."

"Life's short, Liv. Don't forget that. The two of you will talk this through, with your therapist, and you will move forward. In the meantime, don't overthink it. Please."

Olivia nodded, biting her lip, and patted Jerry's knee. Standing from her seat, she said: "I'll try not to overthink. I'm going to check on, Ellie."

* * *

A/N - I rewrote and deleted this chapter so many times I lost count. First, I wanted to say what had happened in the first few lines, then I didn't. Then, I wasn't going to put that in this chapter at all. But then it would have been a very short chapter. So it made the cut. And next chapter explains the fallout and situation a little better. Also, my deadline for the next chapter is this weekend so feel free to hold me responsible to that deadline.

Until next time,

Gabi


	21. If Tomorrow Never Comes

**If Tomorrow Never Comes**

"Mommy!" Seph ran through the lobby, Lio close behind, and threw herself into Olivia's lap. Olivia wrapped her arms around her daughter, cradling her in her lap. Holding a hand out, she patted Lio's shoulder as he stood beside her chair.

"Where's dad?" Lio questioned.

"He's still in surgery," Olivia answered, moving her hand from Lio's shoulder and brushing Seph's curls out of her eyes, "but the doctors say he's doing good."

"What happened?" Lio dropped his backpack to the floor and flopped into the chair beside his mom.

"I don't know the whole story," Olivia replied, hugging Seph closer. "Where's Athena?"

"She went for a walk with aunt Sadie." Lio frowned, bending to unzip his backpack and pull a red folder free.

"She didn't want to come in here?"

"Aunt Sadie said they needed to talk," Seph stated, resting her cheek on Olivia's shoulder.

"Was your aunt Sadie okay?"

"Yeah," was the only reply Seph seemed interested in giving right before yawning.

"Did you have a long day at school?" Olivia moved her hand in soothing circles across Seph's back.

"I played soccer in gym and I raced Jessica at recess." Seph yawned again, her eyelids fluttering shut.

"Sounds like you had a busy day." Olivia smiled as Seph wrapped her fingers around the collar of Olivia's shirt.

"A fun day," Seph corrected, her hot, even breaths blowing across Olivia's neck.

"Take a nap, sweet girl." Olivia kissed the top of Seph's head, leaning back against her chair to give Seph a more reclined position.

"What did happen, Mom?" Lio probed once more after Seph had fallen asleep. He had turned large, questioning eyes toward his mother and, when it seemed as though she wasn't going to respond, continued with: "I can handle it."

"Oh Lio," Olivia sighed, blinking rapidly against the tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, mom." Lio closed his folder, laying it atop his book bag, and wiggled around in his seat until he was sitting on his knees. With ample room, he reached across his seat to kiss his mom's cheek.

"Hey Liv, do you want me to turn this off?" Eddie stopped in front of Olivia, tilting his head toward the flatscreen hanging on the wall. Olivia's attention turned toward the television and the large, breaking news banner across the bottom of the screen that read: _Highland County Sheriff shot; 2 officers dead_.

"It's okay." Olivia's gaze slid to Lio, once more submersed in his homework, before turning back toward the television.

"Good evening. We start this news broadcast with breaking news from Highland County," the news anchor began, his face stony as he made his announcement. "Angela Landis comes to us live from Hillsborough."

The scene changed to a tall, thin brunette standing in front of an apartment complex just outside of town. Her name flashed across the screen and the wind whipped her hair. Olivia frowned at the scene - if it wasn't for the knowledge she already had of the scene, it would appear peaceful. Sunlight streaming through the newly leafed-out trees surrounding the apartment complex. All the emergency response vehicles were gone and children were even playing kickball in the parking lot.

"Good evening," Angela intoned. "I'm standing in front of Whispering Oaks apartments in Hillsborough where, earlier today, a standoff between a 21-year-old suspect and local law enforcement ensued."

The live picture faded to archive footage of an ambulance speeding down the highway toward the city - and the closest trauma unit to Hillsborough, with a full police escort. After a few seconds of that footage, the footage shifted once more to earlier video of police cruisers and SWAT vehicles sitting outside the apartment complex as the news anchor's voice played:

"Officers were called to the scene around nine a.m. when the 21 year old suspect made a 911 call claiming to be suicidal. The suspect opened fire on the Hillsborough city police who responded to the call - striking Officer Garrett who would later succumb to his wounds. The other officer was able to call for backup. Backup would come in the form of both Hillsborough city police and the Highland County Sheriff's Department. Arriving at the scene, Sheriff Fitzgerald Grant and an unnamed deputy attempted to move Officer Garrett to a safe position for EMS. Both Sheriff Grant and the deputy were struck. Reports indicate that the deputy died on the scene while Sheriff Grant is currently at the hospital in critical condition. Back to you, Kyle."

"Thank you, Angela. And we will you keep you updated as this breaking news story develops."

"Dad's going to be okay, right?" Lio's voice broke Olivia's stare from the television screen. Taking a shaky breath, she held Seph just a little tighter.

"Hey buddy." Eddie knelt in front of Lio's chair, placing his hands on the wooden armrests. "What'da'ya say we go get a snack? I think I saw some pretty cool stuff over there. If your mama's okay with that."

Lio turned his attention to Olivia, his question forgotten and eyes wide with excitement. Olivia nodded her head, giving Eddie an appreciative half-smile before he whisked the kid away. She wasn't left alone to muse in her thoughts for long, though.

"Olivia?"

"Lisa?" Olivia tilted her head to look up at the woman she had met only a handful of times.

"I hope you don't mind me just showing up," The younger woman apologised, her eyes somewhat watery as she eased into Lio's now vacated seat.

"Not at all," Olivia cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about Stephen."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry about Fitz. I really, really hope he pulls through this. He's a good guy and Stephen looked up to him."

"Thank you. How are the boys?"

"They're with my parents. I don't think they truly understand what has happened."

"I'm sorry."

"Harrison drove me to the morgue. They still had to have somebody identify…" Lisa cleared her throat, dabbing at her eyes with her shirt. "I couldn't do it. Harrison offered. I needed a moment, so I asked him to bring me here. I think he'd rather be with the rest of the guys than driving me around, anyway. And I can't help Stephen. But I can help you and Fitz and your kids."

"Lisa," Olivia's own voice cracked as she reached across the seat, taking Lisa's hand in hers - offering comfort without words.

* * *

"This is bullshit."

"Athena!" Mercedes whipped her head toward her niece, her mouth falling open at the outburst.

"Sorry," Athena mumbled. "How could someone do this? What makes someone go, 'hey, I think I'll shoot someone'?"

"I don't have an answer for that, Ath," Mercedes exhaled sharply. "Some people just suck."

"How could anyone be okay with hurting someone?"

"Not everyone's got a pure heart like you, kid." Mercedes leaned against the brick wall, inhaling the scent of the blooming flowers along the pathway. A bird chirped loudly as it flew by.

"It's messed up, ya know? All this bad stuff keeps happening to dad. First mom and now this."

"Mom? How is your mom involved in this?" Mercedes raised a brow, watching her niece fidget before meeting her blue gaze.

"She ruined their marriage and our family -"

"Ath, we've been over this…"

"And it still doesn't change the fact that dad didn't cheat. Dad didn't leave us."

"Athena," Mercedes sighed, pushing away from the wall and walking toward her niece. Wrapping an arm around the tall girl, she continued, "your mother loves you. Did she do some messed up things in the past? Yeah. We all have. You can't keep holding onto this anger, though. You won't ever be happy. And you can't hold onto the past because if you, you'll miss out on all the great things happening now."

"Ahem."

Mercedes and Athena turned their heads at the sound of someone clearing their throat to find Jerry standing nearby. He had his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face as he walked toward them.

"I knew I raised you right," Jerry commented, nodding toward Mercedes. "Your aunt is right, Athena. You can't hold onto that anger."

"How do you let it go?" Athena wondered, blinking as she looked to her grandfather.

"You have to find what works for you, Athena." Jerry advised, interjecting himself between Mercedes and Athena, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "Go out and break something. Write a letter to your mom. Or go to therapy with her. Get all of your anger and hurt out in a neutral environment."

"Did you really just tell me to yell at my mom?" Athena giggled, rubbing at her eyes.

"In a neutral environment," Jerry winked.

"I'll think about it, papaw."

"Just don't be so hard on your mama, kid. Life's too short to go around being angry all the time."

"Ain't that the truth," Mercedes agreed, leaning her head against her father's shoulder.

"We better get back inside. I promised your mama," Jerry looked pointedly at Athena before turning his gaze to Mercedes, "And _your _mama, that I would come find you two. They should be giving an update on Fitz in any minute."

* * *

"Clamp," one doctor called, holding his gloved hand in the air as he awaited the much needed medical tool.

"We have to control this bleeding," another doctor warned, the long, blue medical gloves she wore were red with blood.

"Where's Hart?" The first doctor demanded, moving back toward the open chest cavity, using his newly acquired clamp to slow the bleeding there.

"On his way," a nurse responded.

"We're going to need all the cardio help we can get," the second doctor stated. "God I hope he pulls through this."

"We all do, Grein. Though who the hell knows when he'll wake up if he does."

As the doctors worked away above him, Fitz's mind replayed the last interaction he had had with Olivia - keeping him blissfully unaware of the gruelling surgery his body was going through.

**XXXX**

"_Well, the kids are in bed and my parents are gone," Fitz stated, stumbling over a blanket in the floor and causing Olivia to giggle - her margarita sloshing over her hand. "And you're a little drunk." _

"_Not as drunk as you," Olivia countered, sticking her tongue out. _

"_That's mature," Fitz chuckled, his eyes drifting to the patio doors and the brilliantly lit sky. "Want to go soak in the jacuzzi?"_

"_It's midnight." _

"_I'm not tired. Are you?"_

_And so they found themselves in the jacuzzi, sitting at opposite sides of the large hot tub and commenting on the stars. Laughter filled the space between them along with a few hearty 'slurps' as they passed the bottle of tequila Fitz had brought outside between the two. At some point, although Fitz wasn't sure when or how, Olivia had slid across the jacuzzi until she was sitting in the seat right beside him. _

"_I don't even know if I can get out of here without falling on my face," Fitz confided. _

"_I _**know **_I can't," Olivia admitted, placing her hand on Fitz's shoulder and attempting to stand. If it hadn't been for Fitz's quick reflexes, she would have hit the seat hard on her way down. As it was, she landed in his lap - both laughing. Laughter that soon turned to his lips on hers. _

"_Mmmm," Olivia commented when he pulled away. "You're a really good kisser." _

_Fitz wasn't sure how they made it out of the jacuzzi or how they made it to his room, but the next memory he had of them was them standing in his room, Olivia's arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes as she kissed him. _

"_So damn short," Fitz grumbled against her lips, leaning down and hooking his hands around the back of her thighs, just beneath her ass, and lifting her. He roughly sat her on the long dresser against the wall, her legs forced apart so he could stand between them. _

_The kiss was broken and her head forced back as his lips went to her throat, kissing and nipping her tender skin. Olivia's head was tilted back, eyes staring up at the white ceiling. One of her hands went to his shoulder while the other rested on the back of his neck, her thumb grazing the hairs there. _

"_I can't believe this is happening. Is this really happening?" she breathed. _

"_Mmm," Fitz agreed, lightly nipping the skin of her throat and earning a gasp. The flat of his tongue dragged along the spot he'd just nipped as one of his hands slid up her side, playing with the strings of her bikini bottom. Tucking his fingers underneath her bottom so he was able to push and pull her hips, he forced her to grind against him - a moan escaping her lips as his hard cock hit her clit perfectly. _

_His hand slid from her side up to her hair, fingers threading into her curly locks and coaxing a gasp from her that was then immediately followed by another moan. Fitz's lips were on her throat as soon as it was bared to him, placing gentle kisses, licks, and nips along the tender skin. _

"_Come on, Livvie," he commanded against her lips; his voice low and husky and somewhat teasing. "Roll your hips, let me feel you - there you go."_

_As ordered, she started grinding against him on her own, pushing his cock firmly into her clit with each roll of her hips. _

_He clamped his teeth down on her throat, just over her pulse point - earning him another loud moan as her head fell back into his hand and she clung to him, her nails digging into his neck and shoulders. His lips moved to the tender skin, sucking on the sensitive spot and surely leaving a thick, dark bruise that everyone would see come tomorrow. But Fitz wasn't thinking about that at the moment. _

"_Oh God. I'm so close," Olivia breathed, rocking her hips frantically against him. Fitz bucked his own in return and she cried out, her legs trembling on either side of his body and hands grasping him hard. _

_When Fitz released her neck, he pressed the sides of their faces together and began pulling her into him with each roll of her hips, countering it with his own thrusts - but his were made at a slight upward angle. _

"_I haven't even undressed you yet and you're already about to cum?" Fitz teased against her jaw, nipping the curve of it. _

_She nodded her head weakly. _

"_Mmm, good. Let me hear you moan my name." _

_The hand in her hair gripped a little tighter and she groaned. When he spoke again, his lips were right beside her ear. _

"_Cum for me, Livvie." _

_As if on command, repetitive waves of heat washed over her as she came - her moans loud and nearly echoing off the bedroom walls. His name was definitely mixed in there. She buried her face in his neck, panting against him as he kept her hips moving to help her ride her orgasm out a bit longer. _

_Fitz was soon tugging his swimming trunks off, leaving them to puddle on the floor, before moving toward Olivia. He hesitated a moment, waiting until she had nodded her head, before pulling the strings on her top and bottom - tossing the wet clothing to the floor with his. Free of clothing, he placed his hands on her hips and moved her to his bed. _

_When they finally made eye contact once more, Olivia's face flushed, Fitz wasted no time in crashing his mouth against hers. Slowly leaning forward, Olivia was forced to lean back against the mattress, sinking into the bed until she was lying flat with Fitz atop her - their chests pressed together. _

_Their kiss grew a bit rougher while his tongue swept along her bottom lip, coaxing her own from her mouth to greet it. Olivia rolled her hips into him like she'd been told to do earlier - he could feel how fucking wet she was. _

_Fitz gently took ahold of her forearms, peeling her hands from the back of his neck and shoulder, and guided them to where his much larger hands were pinning her wrists to the mattress on either side of her head. At the same time, the kiss was broken, and he started trailing his lips down her chin and throat, his tongue dipping right into the notch of her clavicle._

"_Fuck," she breathed, her chest slightly heaving._

_Kisses, licks, and nips were trailed down to one of her breasts just as his hands released her wrists and slowly slid down her arms and chest. The flat of his tongue dragged along one of her nipples before he cupped her breasts from beneath, jiggling her tits just slightly, and one hand ran his thumb over a nipple while his mouth covered the other, pulling it between his lips so he could suck and bite at it._

_When he stood up straight, Fitz took a second to look over her body as she laid naked on the bed before him, her legs and some of her ass still hanging off the edge. He allowed his hands to slowly slide up and down her bare thighs, his palms rough in comparison to her much softer skin, though the contrast was certainly welcomed as it made her shiver._

_But the second he crouched down between her legs, her breath caught._

_Fitz's lips pressed against the inside of her right thigh in a soft kiss, the prickle of his stubble just slightly tickling as he trailed kisses further inward and to her core—and the second his lips reached between her thighs, he slowly dragged the flat of his tongue up her folds._

_Pushing up to her elbows, Olivia watched what he was doing. He guided her feet to his shoulders, which allowed her legs to open even more, giving him better access, and one of his hands had spread her lower lips while the other slid a middle finger inside her just as his tongue found her clit._

_She was keening almost immediately._

"_Oh, fuck!"_

_Olivia leaned on just one elbow as she reached down and pushed his hair off to the side and out of his face, giving her a better view—but when the brown locks just seemed to keep getting in the way, she kept her fingers threaded in them, gripping without actually pulling, even as her eyes closed and her head fell back in pleasure._

"_Fitz," she breathed, her hips slightly rolling against his face._

_The fingers that had been spreading her open let go and he wrapped his arm around her thigh, his palm placing on her mound as he used his thumb and forefinger not only to spread her lower lips again but to also pull the hood of her clit back some more, giving him better access as he sucked the swollen bud into his mouth and alternated between flicking the tip of his tongue and swirling the flat of it against the sensitive bundle of nerves. And when a second finger was worked into her—his ring finger, though it was slowly worked in because she was tight._

"_Oh, god. Oh, fuck, Fitz," Olivia keened loudly._

_Fitz appreciated his name being moaned as he let out a low noise just as he sucked her clit even harder between his lips and that, alone, almost sent her over the edge. She was so fucking close_—

"_Olivia?"_

_Olivia gasped at the familiar voice that came from the other side of the door as it was accompanied by a knock, her eyes growing wide and looking to where it came from, then down at Fitz. who just flicked his gaze up to her—but didn't fucking stop. Instead, he moved his head from side-to-side a little, swirling his tongue against her even more, and started pumping his fingers even fucking faster._

_Needless to say, she almost lost it and had to cover her mouth to muffle the scream that nearly escaped, her legs trembling so damn much._

"_Olivia, are you alright in there?"_

_Taking a deep breath, she kept eye contact with Fitz, but that just seemed to make it worse. "Y-yes! I'm just—I'm just fine, Sadie."_

"_Are you sure? Lio said he heard a lot of noise."_

"_Yup, all—all good in here. Th-thanks! Fuck."_

_There was a brief pause before her ex sister-in-law answered._

"… _Ah, I see. Have fun, Liv. See you both in the morning."_

_Fitz made another low noise into her, the vibrations rumbling into her core, before he crooked his fingers, the pads repetitively tapping against that bundle of nerves in an almost rhythmic pattern, and it sent her skyrocketing over the edge—screaming, back arched, with one hand gripping his hair and the other clenched into a fist._

"_Oh, god, I'm gonna cum. I'm gonna—I'm—fuck, I'm coming!" she keened. "Fuckfuckfuck, Fitz!"_

"_You want to know what else I plan to do to you tonight?" he asked just as his thumb pressed against her clit and started roughly rubbing; Olivia could only nod her head, unable to form any actual words as heat was already coiling in her belly. "I plan to watch you ride me, see your tits bounce as you do. Maybe fuck you from behind a little later." He twisted his wrist and she felt her stomach turn, the coiling heat nearly letting loose already. "But I definitely plan to hear you scream my name each and every time I make you cum."_

_It didn't take long for her to be sent over the edge screaming his name just like he wanted, his thumb rubbing her clit and fingers beckoning inside her, hitting that sensitive spot that made her tremble, easily turning her into a damn mess. If she could have, she would've turned into a puddle of her own slick and cum at his feet, surely._

_When she was left boneless and panting again, Fitz pulled his fingers out of her and slowly rubbed her clit while quietly praising her before pulling his hand away completely._

_She lifted up onto one elbow, her other hand wrapped around his cock. Well, wrapped around as much of it as possible. Her eyes dropped to look, and her brows raised, lips parted. Shit. _

_Grasping her hand in his, Fitz moved out of her reach and settled on the bed - leaning over her. Reaching between their bodies, he grasped his cock and rubbed himself against her soaking entrance before pushing forward. _

_The burn from the stretch wasn't terrible since he'd fingered her and made her cum a few times, but it was still intense; he used a slow, back-and-forth motion to ease himself in, pausing occasionally to give her time to adjust until he was finally hilted. His lips pressed soft kisses to her collarbone and throat the entire time to help her relax after she'd broken the kiss, and once their hips were flush together, he remained still, waiting for her cue that told him he could move. It took a few moments for the burn to subside, but as soon as it did, she rolled her hips and he made a few small test thrusts._

"_Fuck," she breathed, her legs pulling further up around his waist as she clung to him._

"_You're taking me so well," he mumbled against her, the tip of his tongue dipping into the notch of her clavicle again; she shivered beneath him. "You're so damn small."_

_His pace picked up but wasn't too fast or rough, more so moderate than anything, and he was leaned on one hand that was placed on the mattress a little higher than her head, the other down on her thigh and holding it against his hip. At the same time, she had her fingers threaded into his hair. Their eyes were locked before Fitz leaned down and started placing kisses and bites along the column of her throat again, and she knew there would be small marks left behind from how often he'd clipped her with his teeth or sucked her skin into his mouth just long enough to leave a bruise._

"_Fuck, you're so tight," he groaned just before his teeth latched onto a spot where her neck connected with her shoulder, biting down and sucking the skin into his mouth to leave a dark bruise behind. Olivia immediately moaned, her back arching as she pressed up into him—and he reacted by snapping his hips harder against her, coaxing an even louder moan from her._

"_Fuck!" With curled toes, she was panting, her body nearly trembling beneath him; but he'd returned to that moderate pace. Her body wanted more from him. She needed more from him. "Har-harder?" she whispered._

_Fitz released her shoulder and pulled back enough so he could see her face. "Yeah?"_

"_Please."_

_Snapping his hips against her again, his cock brushed that sensitive spot once more and had her keening, back arching. Fitz made a low groan from deep in his chest before he pushed away from her and slipped out—fuck, she whined when she suddenly felt so damn empty—then sat back on his knees. But he grabbed onto her hips, yanking her toward him as she gasped, and pushed her legs up while spreading them apart, then held them open with his hands on her shins; Olivia's own hands went to the back of her thighs to do the same. He then took ahold of himself and very slowly pushed back into her._

_Fuck. She nearly came right then._

_And when he started thrusting, he started thrusting hard, making her tits jostle up and down, the bed shake, and her moans bounce with each collision of their hips, as well as a familiar heat start coiling deep in her belly because he was hitting that same spot just perfectly._

"_Mm, shit," he groaned, and that had to be the sexiest fucking thing she'd ever heard. "You look so fucking good." One hand left her leg and went to one of her tits, grabbing and lightly squeezing._

"_Fitz," she breathed, her back arching so her chest pushed into his hand. Even without him touching her clit, she could feel heat growing in her belly, telling her there was a buildup that would lead her to getting close. It left her keening, and he must have known he was hitting that spot inside her because he suddenly started slamming his hips against her even harder, fucking her rougher than before. The sound of their hips colliding was so damn loud that it was echoing off the walls in the room, but at that point, she couldn't fucking care. Hell, it just made everything so much better._

_The hand that was still on her knee moved to the mattress beside her chest as he leaned over her more, panting heavily and driving his hips hard against her. "That's it," he growled. "Cum for me."_

_Olivia had never been quiet during sex. She'd struggled with keeping her voice down before the divorce and she certainly struggled with keeping it down now as she came for the fourth time tonight. Her screams filled the room, Fitz's name mixed within them, and her nails were dug into his wrist and forearm as she came—but, hell, he seemed to be enjoying it._

"_Fuck, so goddamn tight," he groaned._

_She could feel herself pulsing around him while still coming down from her orgasm, her legs trembling on either side of his hips while he never let up on how hard he was fucking her, but she felt his thrusts faltering as he was losing his rhythm, and she could tell he was already close. But when he suddenly pulled out and sat back on his knees more, his thumb and forefinger wrapping around the base of his cock, she was left panting on the bed, staring at him._

_He wasn't coming?_

_Fitz released himself after a second and moved to lay beside her, then reached over and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her so she was on her hands and knees over him. "Come here," he growled playfully; Olivia shrieked as she was abruptly yanked atop him, straddling his hips._

_Leaning down, Olivia pressed their lips together, enjoying the feeling of his hands stroking over her thighs and sides. It'd been so long since she'd had anyone touch her like this—she'd missed the intimacy. Not even the intimacy of having sex, but just the intimacy of having someone touch her at all; and whether Fitz realised it or not, the way he was touching her so gently…_

_She shifted her hips, pressing her slit down on his cock as it was resting up against his belly; she lowered to where the length of his shaft was pushed between her folds, then slowly started moving her hips back and forth, grinding on him, rubbing her slick along the underside of his cock and her clit against the ridged bottom of the head. Fuck, it felt so damn good. His hands were on her ass, grabbing and guiding her back and forth on him while he gently bit her bottom lip, tugging, coaxing a moan from her. But rather than kissing his lips again, she went to his neck and placed soft kisses there, instead; Fitz tipped his head back to submit his throat._

_Of course, Olivia seized the opportunity to pay him back for the bruises he'd gifted her neck and shoulders earlier. Yet, when she sank her teeth into the Fitz's throat, just beneath where he shaved his stubble, his reaction was… different than she had expected. More intense. The noise he let out was one that sounded like he was about to cum right then and there, and his body tensed beneath her for half a second before nearly melting into the bed like butter, though his hands still firmly gripped her ass._

"_Oh, fuck," he groaned, the words breathy, and it just sounded so damn good._

_After sucking on the spot for a few moments and ensuring there would be a dark bruise where she'd bitten him, Olivia released his skin and placed a soft kiss there. "Mm, you like that?" she purred. It seemed she'd found her confidence as soon as he'd lost his ability to fucking move._

"_Yeah," he answered, panting; his eyes had closed, head still tipped back._

_She placed a few gentle kisses along his collarbone and ground herself against him again. "You want me to bite you some more?"_

_A low groan rumbled from deep in his chest and he nodded. "Yes."_

_Olivia couldn't help the grin that stretched across her face before she sank her teeth into a different spot on his throat, leaving another mark; the action was repeated on his neck, shoulders, and chest as she gifted him bruises that not only left him panting and moaning and oozing precum between their bodies, but it also left him marked. And while she didn't realise that was what she was doing at first, she certainly realised it by the time she'd bruised up his neck and collarbone and was moving down to his chest. Anyone who saw him would know where he'd been._

_They'd know he'd been with her._

_And maybe… maybe that was an idea she relished in._

_Trailing kisses down his sternum and navel, she made her way between his legs and toward his groin. She didn't give his cock any attention at first, instead kissing and licking along his pelvic muscle and upper thighs until she was finally dragging the flat of her tongue up his length, from base to tip. Fitz spread his legs to give her more room, bending them at the knees a little, his eyes on her face as she swirled her tongue along the underside of his cock again while dragging it from one end to the other. She took him in her hand after a moment, though, and slowly stroked him a couple times before sliding the head of his cock into her mouth and lightly sucked, tasting herself mixed with the salt of his skin and precum._

_Fitz reached down and brushed her hair from her face, threading his fingers in it without grabbing or pulling or directing her movements. Their eyes remained locked as she slid more of him into her mouth, just slowly bobbing her head and teasing him, swirling her tongue along the underside of his shaft._

"_Fuck," he breathed. "There you go. Good girl."_

_Her free hand was initially resting on his thigh, nails digging in—he seemed to enjoy being scratched earlier, so she figured why not try it in different places—before she slid that hand between his legs, her thumb hooking beneath his balls so they rested on the webbing of her thumb and forefinger, which she then pushed them up against the base of his cock to apply some pressure—and if the low groan he let out was anything to go by, he definitely enjoyed it._

_Sliding more of him into her mouth, she caved her cheeks, abruptly sucking hard whereas she'd only been sucking lightly and teasingly before—Fitz moaned as his eyes closed and head tipped back, his hips bucking up into her mouth, though he mumbled an apology that had her lightly laughing around him. His hand just barely gripped her hair, but it seemed unintentional, and if she was being honest… well, she liked it._

_After a moment, Olivia took the rest of him in, pushing her nose into his groin and the head of his cock into the back of her throat. But she'd never learned how to keep herself from gagging, and so she was choking on him immediately, though trying to tough it out as long as she could._

"_Look at me," he ordered; her eyes raised to look up at him, tears forming in the corners. "Fuck, you look so good. Got your mouth full, my cock in your throat—"_

_Olivia pulled off, coughing and gasping for breath while her face turned a dark shade of red as she turned away from him. Fitz sat up then and she felt his hand gently grasp her chin, making her look back at him just before their lips connected in a kiss. But as soon as it broke, he kept his hand on her jaw as he slowly laid back, coaxing her to move with him._

"_Come here," he quietly ordered._

_She crawled up his body until she was on her hands and knees over him. He released her jaw then, one hand disappearing between their bodies, and she lowered her hips down as he grabbed ahold of his cock, angling it upward and allowing her to slowly sink down onto him. Despite having him inside her not long ago, it was still intense and merely being filled had her gasping and moaning, her body tensing up as she slowly sank down on him until their hips were flush._

_Fitz's hands found her thighs, gently stroking up and down from her knees to her hips a few times, then eventually reaching up to her breasts and cupping them. "Mm, can't believe I waited this long to fuck you," he purred._

"_Did you," she quietly gasped as she started moving her hips back and forth, grinding against him to where her clit was rubbing against his groin. "Did you think about this—mmm—about this… a lot?"_

"_You have no idea," he growled. "Wanted to bend you over the table the—mmm—the first night you came back into my home." Keeping one hand on her breast, his other slipped between her legs, thumb rubbing at her clit._

"_O-oh. What, um—fuck—what else?"_

_A grin spread across his face and his thumb started moving faster on her clit, rubbing quick, rough circles. "Wanted to take you against the—fuck—against the wall, feel your nails down my back."_

"_Oh, god, Fitz," she breathed, her back arching. She started moving her hips faster, grinding harder into his thumb; his cock was rubbing against her sweet spot with each movement she made, and it was causing heat to coil deep in her belly. "Tell me—tell me more."_

"_Almost fucked you on the deck," he revealed. "When you were—mmmfuck—when you were leaned against me. Fuck, I was hard, but you didn't notice."_

_She didn't notice, he was right, but now she wished she had. But… if he'd tried to fuck her, would she have let him?_

_Who was she kidding, of course she would have let him fuck her._

"_I—I didn't," she admitted._

_His hands slipped to her waist, gripping tightly as he started guiding her up and down to bounce on him while, at the same time, he thrusted up into her, meeting her halfway. Olivia grabbed onto his forearms as she keened, trying to ground herself anywhere she could, though one of her hands soon found his chest, fingers threading into the hair and nails digging into his skin._

"_Fuck, we should have done this sooner," he groaned._

"_Let me feel you cum around my cock."_

_She was sent over the edge, back arching, screaming his name, the word drawn out and bouncing each time their hips clapped together, his cock rubbing against her sweet spot each time he moved in and out._

"_There you go, that's it. Fuck, you feel so good," he groaned._

_She was suddenly pulled down atop him with one arm wrapping completely around her waist, the other grabbing onto one of her ass cheeks as their lips connected. She was forced to stop bouncing on him while, at the same time, he started fucking up into her even faster and harder. Gripping the sheets on either side of his head, she was only able to hold the kiss for a few moments before she had to pull her lips away, loud moans escaping her throat between heavy panting._

_Fitz shifted so the sides of their faces were pressed together, and she pushed her lips against the skin just beneath his ear in an attempt to stifle the noises she was making. It didn't really work as well as she'd hoped, but the sound of his hips slamming against hers, skin clapping against skin, was much louder, so that helped drown her noises out a little. And then his breathy moans in her ear eventually had her not even fucking caring about how loud she was._

"_Fuck, you feel so good wrapped around me," he groaned, squeezing her ass even harder; she was pretty certain there'd be bruises there, too, by the time he let go._

_Even though she'd just cum, heat was coiling deep in her belly again, and she found her fingers threading into his hair, gripping tightly as if she were holding on for dear life; but just as she was so close to tipping over the edge, he just… pulled out._

_She felt so fucking empty._

"_What… why did you…" she panted but couldn't formulate the sentence, instead just slumping against him._

_Just as sudden as being pulled down, she was on her back. Fitz was still between her legs though his lips were now at her throat, kissing along the column; she tipped her head back, baring and submitting herself to him, and he took that opportunity to sink his teeth into her skin, biting hard enough to leave a mark. Olivia was left moaning and writhing beneath him, her hands seeking purchase on his shoulders and back, and as soon as he released her neck from his hold, he sat up on his knees and hooked his hands around the back of her thighs, pushing her legs up close to her chest so her hips were rolled upward—nearly making her fold in on herself._

_It wasn't comfortable but the moment his face was between her legs, she couldn't think about anything else—instead, all she could focus on was how fucking good it felt and how perfect the visual of his tongue flicking against her clit was. She could see the pink muscle rolling against that sensitive bundle of nerves, making her body tremble, and she nearly lost it right then and there._

_Both her hands went to his head, fingers threading into his hair and nails gently grazing his scalp as he sucked her clit between his lips, swirling his tongue against it over and over and over. Her legs were trembling almost right away, heat coiling deep in her belly again and warning her that her impending orgasm hadn't gone too far despite how she'd been denied. Fuck, this man was amazing with his mouth. And his cock. And just… fucking everything._

"_Oh, god," she breathed, her eyes locking onto his again before they dropped a bit lower the second his tongue was visible once more. She watched him lap at her clit, the flat of his tongue dragging against it repeatedly before he moved his head a bit further down and thrust his tongue inside her, wiggling it; the tip of his nose pressed firmly against her clit as his head moved from side-to-side, giving friction to the sensitive bundle of nerves. Olivia was keening, hands gripping his hair tightly as she felt herself throb around his tongue, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from his anymore._

"_Fuck, I'm so close."_

_Fitz made a low noise against her before he shifted back up and sucked her clit into his mouth again, sucking hard and rolling his tongue against it. Within moments, she was sent over the edge—back arching and screaming his name._

_Everything sort of blurred together for a few seconds after that and she only became aware he was back atop her when she felt him kissing her chest, their hips close—but he hadn't let her body move out of the position he'd folded her into. Fitz had one knee bent as he knelt onto the other, using that as leverage to lean up a little so he could slide his cock all the way into her—fuck, he was rubbing her walls just right—and as soon as he was hilted, her legs were thrown over his shoulders, one hand was planted on the bed, the other in the centre of her chest, and he started to fuck down into her._

_It was a position she'd never experienced before._

_The angle was hitting that spot perfectly._

"_Oh, fuck yes. Oh, god. Fuckyesrightthererightthererightthererightthere!"_

"_Listen to that," he purred, thrusting a bit harder so their hips clapped together. It was nowhere near as hard as he'd been fucking her before, but that was fine, because the angle was just right. "You hear how pretty you sound? Keening for me?"_

_Olivia shook her head quickly as if she could deny it, but the second he snapped his hips against her, she was moaning loudly again, her hands finding his chest and digging her nails in. "Please—fuck—please. I—I need it harder."_

_Fitz moved her legs off his shoulders and held onto the back of her thighs, pushing them down on either side of her chest toward the mattress to keep her spread open. But rather than kneeling on one knee, he shifted so he was leaned on the balls of his feet and, with that, used the position to fuck into her harder at an even more downward angle, forcing her to keen his name and tremble beneath him._

_Heat was already building deep in her belly again, threatening to explode, and with him leaning on the balls of his feet, the head of his cock was hitting her sweet spot over and over. But the second she was so close to tipping over the edge, he just… stopped again._

_Olivia's eyes grew wide as he pulled out and she went to reach a hand down between her legs to finish herself off—she was so fucking close—but she didn't get the chance as Fitz was grabbing her around her midsection and flipping her onto her stomach, then pulling her up onto her hands and knees while he remained on his knees behind her._

_A rough palm slid up and down her spine, the contrast welcome. "You alright like this?" he asked, panting._

_When she nodded her head, she felt the tip of his cock rubbing up and down her folds, teasing, reminding that coiled heat not to go anywhere, before he started pushing back in. Olivia moaned, and once he was hilted, he remained still for a second to give her a chance to relax. The new position had him already touching that sensitive spot inside her but at a completely different angle, and she was almost ready to start trembling again. Or was she still trembling, never having stopped?_

_After a few moments, he started thrusting, though it was slow at first; he rocked his hips against her, not even fully pushing into her as he did, but it had her moaning, regardless._

"_Oh, god. Fuck," she breathed._

_He picked up the pace, but not much, though there was a light clapping noise of his hips against her ass, and it had her moaning—but she still wanted more._

"_Harder," she groaned._

_But he stopped._

"_Say it again."_

"_Wh-what?"_

"_Say it again. Tell me what you want," he ordered._

"_I want—I want you to fuck me harder," she repeated._

_There was an expectation for him to say something—anything—but, instead, she felt his palm press between her shoulder blades as he roughly pushed her upper half down into the mattress and leaned over her. Olivia gasped, but with her ass in the air, her hips were angled just right, and it had him thrusting deep into her, hitting that spot even better and leaving her mewling beneath him. That, and combined with how he started pounding into her, his hips slamming against her ass, she almost felt like she was about to go boneless without even needing to cum._

"_If only you could see yourself," he panted above her; Olivia's face flushed. "You look so fucking good like this—bent over for me, moaning, submitting."_

_Submitting?_

_His hips snapped against her ass and she felt returning heat deep in her belly suddenly and tightly coiling again, threatening to release at any moment. "I—I don't—" she started but stopped when he leaned back up onto his knees again; she went to lean back up on her hands like before, but ended up stopping when he pushed her back down._

"_No, no. You stay there," he ordered._

_Olivia bit her bottom lip again but lowered herself back down on the mattress. Fitz wasn't done there, though, and instead he pushed her legs closer together without closing them completely, his own legs going on the outside of hers, shins crossing over her calves as if he was pinning them down. And when he started thrusting again, he just kept hitting that bundle of nerves over and over, the head of his cock prodding against it rather than brushing or rubbing, and it was sending her straight to the edge like she was on a fusion bullet train._

"_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!" she keened. There was pressure building inside her, but it was different than what she'd felt before, and it was in a slightly different spot, too, almost like she had to—_

_Her orgasm was sudden when it happened and Fitz's cock was pushed out of her. He moved to be sitting back on his knees and, at the same time, she felt his fingers roughly and quickly rubbing against her clit, making her orgasm grow even more intense. She tried to move away from him but he had her legs trapped beneath his, so her only her top half lunged forward a little, but he just grabbed onto her hip with his free hand to hold her still—and it was only then she realised her thighs were fucking wet._

_Oh, and she was screaming and trembling, but that was sort of drowned out by the intensity of her orgasm._

_Before she knew it, Fitz was fucking her again, his cock shoved back in her as he started slamming into her from behind, hitting that same spot. She kept screaming, gripping the sheets to ground herself—but when he grabbed her other hip, his hand was entirely soaked, and that was when she realised what happened._

_Oh._

_Oh._

_She'd just—_

"_God, you're so fucking wet, Livvie," he groaned. "I can feel you pulsing around my cock."_

_This man was going to be the end of her._

_He kept going, his hips clapping against her ass as he panted and quietly groaned. But when his arm was suddenly around her waist again, pulling her back against his body, his thrusts slowed down to where there was just a light clapping of his hips against her ass. Olivia reached one arm behind her and wrapped it around the back of his neck while he leaned down to press the side of his face against her, his lips just behind her ear._

"_I'm close," he panted. "Where do you want me?"_

_Her free hand reached back, grabbing onto his hip. "I—I don't," she started, but just shook her head. "I don't care."_

_Fitz released a shaky exhale and kissed beneath her ear. "Let me cum inside you."_

_It took a second for his words to register, but once they did, Olivia's eyes grew wide and her face flushed even more. The image flashed in her mind—his cum leaking out of her after he filled her, dripping down her legs—and heat immediately pooled between her thighs, coiling._

_Fuck. That was a bad idea._

"_In—inside me?" she asked._

_A really bad idea._

"_Yeah," he confirmed, snapping his hips against her ass before slowing his thrusts down even more._

_But Olivia was never known for making the greatest decisions in the heat of the moment._

"_Okay," she whispered, nodding quickly._

_One of his hands shifted up to her collarbone, just beneath her throat without actually being on her throat—she tipped her head back against his shoulder, almost inviting him to grab her there, but he never did—while the other went down between her legs, fingers quickly and roughly rubbing her clit._

"_Shit," she breathed, hips jerking at the suddenness of the stimulation. The hand she had on his hip reached a bit further back, closer to his ass._

"_I want you to cum with me, Livvie. Think you can do that?" he asked, his voice still a low growl._

_Olivia nodded quickly again. "Yes, I—I can do that," she breathed. "I want to do that. Please."_

"_Mm, fuck, you're such a good girl, aren't you?"_

_Nodding again, her hand slid further back, reaching, reaching, reaching—almost there. "I—yes. I'm—I'm a—" her stomach twisted as heat coiled tightly, threatening to release, "—Oh, fuck, I'm gonna cum!"_

"_That's it, Livvie," he growled while his hips sped up again, cock pounding into her roughly. "Cum for me while I fill you."_

_Just before she came, her hand latched onto his ass cheek, nails digging in to keep from slipping off or having to let go—but it didn't matter, because as soon as she tipped over the edge and was pulsing around his cock, moaning his name, that seemed to help him reach his end, as well. Fitz thrusted into her once more before hilting himself, his groin flush with her ass while he moaned low against her, hips making a few involuntary thrusts as he came, both of them left panting._

_Slipping his hand out from between her legs, he gently grasped her jaw, turning her head so she was looking at him, and then pulled her into a kiss that was only held for a few moments. As soon as it was broken, he released her chin and brushed some of her hair from her face while, at the same time, he pulled his hips back and slowly slid his cock out of her._

_Fuck, she could feel his cum leaking out and down her thighs already while that empty feeling took over again. Part of her wanted to ask him to just put his cock back in her just so she wouldn't feel so fucking empty anymore._

_From there, everything was just… gentle. He helped her lay down on the bed before asking where she kept a few items, then stepped away to run to her bedroom and grab some things. When he returned, climbing back on the bed, he had two wet cloths and a bottle of water, the cloths being set down on the nightstand beside the bed while he popped open the bottle and helped her sit up enough to drink._

"_You did so well," he praised._

_What the fuck?_

"_What are you talking about?" she asked, confused; her head tipped up as he pressed his lips to different spots on her throat, then her collarbone—she realised he was kissing the bruises he'd left._

"_You took me so well," he explained. "You're such a good girl."_

_There was that praise again. That 'good girl.' It made her stomach twist and she chewed her bottom lip. "I… was?" she asked._

"_Mhm. A very good girl," Fitz reassured her as his lips went to a mark that was on her shoulder; she looked at him, meeting his eyes. "My good girl," he added._

_Her chest ached._

"_Yours?" she whispered._

* * *

"He's out of surgery. We have him set up in the ICU," one of the doctors announced, standing in front of the large group of gathered family and colleagues. "It's promising that he survived the surgery, but he isn't out of the woods yet. Right now, only family may visit and we do ask that they wait until tomorrow. He's in a medically induced coma, but there is strong evidence that he will still hear and understand everything you say. He needs rest."

* * *

**A/N - **So...I got a bit carried away with Liv and Fitz's night-before sex….Honestly, though, scenes like that help get through the serious material that makes up most of this story thus far. And I hope you all enjoyed it ;)

Until next time,

Gabi


	22. Listen to the Silence

"I'll watch the kids. Go see him," Jerry prodded, his hand resting comfortably on Olivia's upper back. Olivia turned her attention toward the hall that led out of the kitchen, her teeth digging into the already sensitive skin of her bottom lip. She pressed her hand just a bit harder into the dough on the counter.

"I…" She swallowed hard and cleared her throat.

"I know it's hard, Liv," Jerry agreed with her unspoken words. "Hell, _I _cried seeing my son on that hospital bed with all those machines hooked up to him."

Olivia blinked rapidly, her eyes watering as Jerry choked on his words. Pulling her hands from the misshapen dough, she turned toward the sink. After a couple minutes of rinsing her hands in the warm water, scrubbing the dough from her hands and letting the silence fill the room, Olivia reached for a towel and turned the water off.

"I won't be gone long," Olivia offered, reaching toward the hooks on the end of the counter to grab her keys.

"Take all the time you need," Eleanor tsked, walking around the counter and stopping before the mess Olivia had made. "I'll finish...What were you making dear?"

"I don't know," Olivia admitted, a shaky smile crossing her face. "I just needed to stay busy."

"I see," Eleanor clucked, shaking her head with a smile, "I'll clean this up."

Olivia took one last look around the discombobulated kitchen before scurrying out the door. Athena was milling around the gravel driveway, bouncing a basketball with Lio and Maxson. If it were any other time, Olivia may have taken the moment to appreciate the sweet sight of her oldest giggling at something Maxson had said and twirling her hair around her finger. As it was, Olivia stopped long enough to call:

"I'm going to the hospital. Your mamaw and papaw are in the house if you need anything. Help them with Seph if she wakes up."

She had waved to the trio and was halfway to her jeep when she heard Athena calling her name. Turning around, she was met with the girl's arms around her. It was a brief hug and when Athena pulled away, Olivia reached up to brush her hair out of her eyes. She had hit a growth spurt right after Christmas and was now a good three inches taller than Olivia.

"Will you…" Athena stopped to clear her throat. "Will you tell dad that I love him?"

"Of course," Olivia answered, brushing Athena's hair off her shoulders and behind her back. "And maybe tomorrow you can come with me."

Athena tilted her head, a wistful look on her face. The topic of visiting her father had been a constant battle between mother and daughter. Olivia wanted Athena to visit Fitz - they shared a special bond and as the days went by, Olivia had become hopeful that that special bond would provide some much needed motivation to wake. Following her mother's hesitant cues to visit the hospital as well as feelings of injustice that her siblings were not allowed into the ICU, Athena had, so far, refused.

"Let dad know I'm thinking about him." And she was off - running toward her brother and 'friend' with her hands held in front of her body and shouts to 'pass the basketball'.

Sighing, Olivia pulled the key from her purse and unlocked her vehicle. She waved to the kids as she pulled out of the driveway - fiddling with the radio as she went. Shaking her head at the song coming through her speakers, Olivia moved her hand back to her steering wheel. As she sang along with the pop tune, she couldn't help but think that Athena would be proud of her for knowing the lyrics.

"You said it was a great love, one for the ages -" Olivia gently tapped her fingers against the steering wheel in rhythm with the song. " - but if the story's over, why am I still writing pages?"

* * *

"Who's that?" Lio asked his sister, stepping onto the sidewalk beside her and pointing toward the end of the driveway where a grey Silverado was pulling in. Athena glanced behind her, a blush covering her cheeks as she held Maxson's hand, and shrugged.

"Mom didn't say anything about visitors."

"Isn't that coach Pope?" Maxson wondered, following Athena to the end of the sidewalk where Lio stood, watching the truck roll to a stop.

"Why's he here?" Lio questioned, tucking his basketball beneath his arm and squinting as the older guy exited his vehicle.

"Maybe to give you more pointers on your game," Maxson teased.

"Don't be a sore loser," Lio grumbled.

"Just picking on you," Maxson clarified, "You're a good player, Lio."

"Hey Lio," Eli greeted, stepping onto the sidewalk.

"Coach," Lio offered, letting the basketball fall to the ground so he could shake Eli's hand.

"You must be Athena." Eli turned his attention toward the blonde, shaking her hand as well. "I'm teaching one 8th grade social studies class next year and you'll be in it."

"Yeah, I saw that on my schedule," Athena acknowledged, dropping her hand and looking toward the porch. "My mom just left."

"Well shoot," Eli stuck his hands in his pockets, "I came by to offer my condolences."

"Condolences? My dad isn't dead," Athena scoffed, crossing her arms and turning her grey gaze toward Eli.

"I...I'm…"

"Athena?" Jerry spoke from behind his granddaughter, saving Eli from the uncomfortable fumbling for words.

"This is Mr. Pope. He's Lio's coach and one of the history teachers," Athena introduced, standing out of the way as the two men shook hands.

"I'm afraid you just missed my daughter-in-," Jerry shook his head, "You just missed Olivia."

"So I heard," Eli sighed. "I was hoping to get to meet her. Her mom and I were friends in high school."

"Oh?" Jerry raised a brow, albeit a little too slow to be taken as genuine surprise. Glancing at the kids - the three had gone back to milling around the basketball hoop, Jerry led Eli up the sidewalk toward the porch.

"You don't sound all that surprised," Eli observed.

"It's a small town," Jerry shrugged, stepping onto the porch and deadheading the purple petunias hanging from the ceiling, "Everyone knows everyone else's business."

"Don't I know it," Eli mumbled, resting his hands on the porch railing and watching as Lio made a layup. "His dad play basketball? He's a natural."

"My son was the quarterback. They took state his junior and senior year." Jerry tossed a couple of the dead blossoms in his hand out into the yard.

"What about his mom?"

Jerry glanced at Eli for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Liv was a cheerleader. She did mock trial, too. They hardly lost. Had the whole town convinced she was going to go off and become a bigshot lawyer."

"She didn't?"

"She's the head of the Classical Studies department at IU."

"Impressive," Eli whistled. "Her mother never liked history."

"Strange how that works, isn't it?" Jerry raised a brow, taking a seat in one of the rockers.

"Why do I get the feeling that everyone here knows something I don't?" Eli turned from the railing and sat in the rocker by Jerry.

"Because everyone probably does," Jerry responded, crossing his ankles and gripping the armrests.

"She's my daughter, isn't she?" Eli blurted.

"That isn't my place to say." Jerry attempted to be diplomatic, eyes shifting once more to the kids in the driveway.

"I suppose not."

* * *

"Livvie, I didn't know you were coming today." Mercedes stood from her chair near Fitz's bed and wrapped her arms around Olivia.

"Your dad and mom are watching the kids." Olivia returned Sadie's hug. "You're not working today?"

"Well," Sadie dropped her arms, "I'm officially a board certified neurosurgeon. They gave me the weekend off to celebrate."

"Congratulations, _doctor _Grant." Olivia winked, her eyes sparkling.

"Now we just talk your three into becoming doctors and it'll be like we collected the whole set," Mercedes joked.

"One huge, overqualified family," Olivia agreed. "Not that Fitz would ever admit it."

"Everyone knows Fitz only got his Ph.D. because you were getting yours. Talk about overqualified...he's overqualified. He could literally be _teaching _criminal justice instead of getting shot." Mercedes turned her head toward her brother, her eyes sliding to the monitor above his bed.

"I think everyone would feel better if he were teaching." Olivia made her way to Mercedes' side. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Mercedes nodded, "Everything's good. His doctor came in earlier. Said they're going to try waking him up in a couple days."

"Oh. So you guys are talking now?" Olivia's eyes twinkled.

"Shut up." Mercedes moved around Olivia, reaching for her purse and slinging it over her shoulder as Olivia laughed. Sadie hadn't gotten along with Fitz's doctor - arguing with the slightly older man over her brother's treatment.

"He's still a sexist dick," Mercedes complained, wrapping her arms around Olivia once more in a brief hug.

"Guys see a pretty girl and they're surprised that she's smart," Olivia agreed.

"Like I said: sexist dick," Mercedes smirked, "I'll see ya later, Liv. Watch out for my big brother."

"I'll let you know if anything happens."

"I know he's in good hands," Mercedes winked before walking out of the hospital room.

Olivia sighed and sat on the edge of the hard mattress, careful to avoid messing any of the various tubes running from the bed to the machines. Tilting her head, she studied the man laying on the bed. His chest rose in deep, even breaths, despite the rest of his body being motionless. His hair lay flat against his head making Olivia wonder what kind of superpowers the nursing staff possessed.

"The kids keep asking when you're going to wake up," Olivia began, resting her hand on his forearm. "Athena and Hayden aren't dating anymore. She broke up with him though so there's no reason for you to threaten the poor kid."

Olivia chuckled, rubbing her thumb against his warm skin.

"She's been hanging out with Maxson. I know you don't want her dating in the first place, but we always talked about this - didn't we? Eddie's kid dating ours. It's cute."

Olivia cleared her throat, blinking back her tears. Biting her lip, she let go of his arm to brush his curls from his face, trying to keep them from flopping back down over his forehead. She shook her head when they fell again - those damn curls.

"So...about that thing that happened...you know? Before all of this."

She took a deep breath, her eyes travelling to the bland, white wall above his head.

"Your sister thinks we were finally 'being real'," Olivia attempted to mimic the blonde's high-pitched voice, "Sadie says it's about time we admit our feelings - even if it took us being drunk to admit them. Sometimes I think she's absolutely insane…"

Olivia laughed, standing from her seat and slipping her shoes off her feet, wincing at the feel of the cold tile.

"Who am I kidding? Your sister _is_ insane. A genius, but insane. Anyway…"

She cleared her throat again, placing her knee on the mattress. Using the metal railing, she lifted her body onto the bed - careful to avoid all the wires.

"Your dad knows, too. He thinks we can work past it and that we shouldn't let it hold us back from the progress we were making...but I don't know, Fitz. I don't want it to hold us back, either."

She tucked her body into his side, wrapping her arm around him and resting her head on his chest as her feet connected with the metal railing.

"I think this...this opened my eyes. We've both been so fucking stupid. And we have a lot to work on. But it's time that we actually do that. No more running when things get hard or refusing to talk things through. If we're going to do this…

We have to do this right."

* * *

"_Where's Seph?" Athena questioned when they walked into the seemingly empty house. _

"_Hm. I don't know. Maybe your mom had to go somewhere?"_

"_Her car is in the driveway, dad." _

_Fitz dropped Athena's bookbag on the floor, eyes scanning the room. Olivia's shoes were by the door and her purse was on the table. But she was nowhere in sight. Neither was Seph. _

"_Your mom might have taken her to your grandmother's. She said she was on a roll with her book." _

_At that precise moment, a breathy moan floated from the direction of their bedroom. A not-so-quiet exclamation of 'Jake' that had Fitz ordering Athena to her room and taking the stairs two at a time. Clenching his jaw, heart racing in his chest, Fitz placed his hand on the doorknob and slung the bedroom door open. _

"_What the fuck?" He growled at the sight in front of him. Olivia was quick to scramble off the bed, landing on the floor and wrapping her arms around her legs - closing in on herself. Fitz barely paid any attention. His focus was on the man now shoving himself into a sitting position on the bed. Fitz's bed. _

"_You're home early," Jake observed, a smirk covering his face as he lazily stood and grabbed his boxers from the floor. _

_Shaking, Fitz balled his hands into fists. "You have a lot of fucking nerve." _

"_I definitely have a lot of somethi -" _

_Fitz didn't give Jake the time to finish his sentence before his fist collided with the other man's jaw. Jake stumbled backward, the smirk finally leaving his face as his hand raised to his already reddening skin. After rubbing his jaw a time or two and straightening his posture, Jake met Fitz's gaze. _

"_Aw. Don't be upset that I give it better than -" _

_Whack. This time, Fitz's aim was a little lower - hitting Jake in the abdomen and causing him to double over. Unrelentless in his attack, blow after blow landed on the other man. Unfortunately for Jake, the moment he struggled into an upright position, lifting his head in what was undoubtedly another attempt at goading, Fitz's fist collided with his windpipe. Air completely knocked out of him, Jake crumpled to the floor. _

"_What did you do?" Olivia demanded, struggling to her feet and reaching for the sheet. Wrapping the silky fabric around her body, she scrambled across the bed. "Is he breathing?"_

"_What the fuck would I care, Olivia?" Fitz's gaze was hard, unrelenting as he finally addressed his wife. Holding his hand before him, he clenched and unclenched his fingers a few times. There were cuts on his knuckles and bruising was already beginning to show. _

"_How could you?" _

_She bowed her head at his question - his disappointed head shake the last she saw as he walked toward the bathroom, tossing over his shoulder:_

"_I want you out of my house." _

* * *

**A/N - **I'm terrible at fighting scenes, so I'll go ahead and apologise for what all of you had to read there.

Liv and Fitz are making progress - or at least Olivia is. She's had a bit of an 'awakening' while Fitz has been in the hospital. Now, if only Fitz would wake up on a similar page. Time will tell.

Papa Pope is edging his way into this story - and seems to know a bit more than Fitz gave him credit. Or did Fitz give away just enough for Eli to piece that puzzle together?

Until next time,

Gabi


	23. Look Inside His Eyes

"Thirty-Five fucking years and you couldn't tell me I have a daughter?" Eli's eyes blazed, his voice an accusatory whisper and hands wrapped around the metal bed-railing. There was no response from the woman lying on the bed - her blank stare seeming to go right past him.

"Lucid enough to call me, convince me to move all the way back here and hint that there was something here I would want to know about…" Eli scoffed, running a hand over his face. "You couldn't have just come out and said it? Told me that I have a daughter?"

"Eli," Maya finally spoke, her voice cracking and her absent stare falling on him. "What do you mean?"

Eli shook his head, his hands going to his head - fingers rubbing against his scalp. Pushing away from the railing, he paced the small area in front of the hospital bed.

"You should have told me about Olivia."

"Olivia? Who told you I'm pregnant? Was it my mom? She's the only one who knows what I'm naming the baby!"

Suddenly, Maya was hysterical. Reaching for the railing at the side of her bed, she was pulling herself up and glaring at Eli.

"You're not supposed to know! She's mine - not yours! You aren't going to corrupt her!"

"How, Maya? How would I corrupt her?" Eli moved around from the foot of the bed, backing against the wall as a nurse entered the room.

"Stay away from my daughter! She's mine! All mine!"

The wild look in Maya's eyes probably would have affected him at one point in his life, but not now. Sad as it was to see her in this state, he could appreciate the karmic elements to this position Maya was in. None of it made sense to him: the woman had broken up with him. She had disappeared right when they were supposed to be starting their life together and she had waited thirty-five years to send a message: begging him to return to Hillsborough. Hinting that there was something in the small town for him, he had never expected to find this - to find an ex-girlfriend with early-onset Alzheimer's and a daughter he never knew existed. Nothing made sense.

"Mr. Pope, your wi -"

"We're not a couple," Eli interrupted the nurse, his eyes travelling to the door. "This is my last visit. If she becomes lucid again and asks."

One last glance at Maya, still screaming about Olivia being hers - and only hers, was all that Eli needed before slinking out the door.

There really was no explanation for Maya.

* * *

"When are you planning on waking him?" Jerry glanced at the monitors above his son's bed, his words directed to the young doctor standing near the window.

"Tomorrow. I spoke with your daughter about it this morning."

"And that's still eating you alive, isn't it?" Mercedes smirked from behind the cover of the book she was reading: _The Anatomy of Evil_.

Jerry sighed, stuffing his hands inside his pockets and gave Mercedes a warning look. He had been just as surprised as Fitz's doctor to learn that his son had given his daughter the medical power of attorney.

"As I told _Doctor _Grant this morning, Mr. Grant -"

"Oh, he's a doctor, too," Mercedes informed the man, chewing loudly on her gum.

"Mercedes -" Jerry shook his head, raising a brow toward his daughter. "You don't like him. We know. Now can we move past that?"

"I don't know. Can we?" Mercedes turned her attention to Fitz's doctor - the corner of her lips curled upward.

"I'm trying really hard to be professional," the redhead admitted, straightening his lab coat.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, dropping her gaze back to the book in her hands. Jerry snorted - his daughter was going to be the death of him one of these days.

"Tomorrow you're going to start withdrawing the barbiturates?" Jerry questioned, drawing the doctor back to their original conversation.

"Yes," The doctor agreed. "I am hoping that, with no complications, he will be up tomorrow evening."

"There _won't _be any complications," Mercedes mumbled from behind her book, prompting a smile from Jerry. Always the optimist, that one.

"Physical therapy?" Jerry questioned.

"I'll be able to assess more once he's awake, but I most likely will refer him to pt. He will have a long road to recovery. It'll be a year or more before he's back to himself," the doctor warned.

"Fitz will love that," Jerry frowned - his sarcastic tone hiding the relief he felt that his son may wake soon as his attention turned toward the medical bed in the centre of the room.

* * *

"Hi Shelby." Eli stood before the granite tombstone, hands in his pockets and shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. "It's been a while."

"I...I, um, saw Maya." Eli pulled a hand from his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. "She's...I never knew, Shelby. And she kept this from me?"

Eli shook his head and glanced toward the stone bench across from the headstone. Rolling his shoulders, he tilted his head back to look at the sky. Large, puffy white clouds floated above his head - offering some depth to the light blue.

"Why didn't she tell me? She said I would have ruined Olivia. How? How would I have done that?" Eli swallowed, hard, and began pacing behind the headstone. Biting his bottom lip, he placed his hands on the warm headstone and asked once more: "Why, Shelby?"

"She never answers."

Eli turned his head, glancing back at the source of the soft voice. Olivia stood behind him, a bouquet of colourful daisies in her hand.

"I suppose not." Eli patted the headstone and turned to fully face Olivia. How much had she heard?

"You're the new history teacher, right?" She tilted her head, walking toward the grave to lay her bouquet on the marble.

"Yes."

"I didn't catch your name."

"Eli," he offered, holding his hand out.

"Olivia."

She took his hand, shaking once before dropping it.

"You knew my nana?" Olivia folded her arms, her gaze drifting toward Shelby's gravestone.

"I did. She was a great woman."

"Yeah. She was," Olivia agreed, her hand caressed the warm stone - eyes drifting toward the engraved letters. "How did you know her?"

"Your mom was…" Eli cleared his throat, refusing to meet Olivia's gaze. "Maya was one of my best friends. There were five of us: me, your mom, Guin, Jim, and Tommy. Your grandma used to call us -"

"The flock," Olivia laughed. "Aunt Guin and uncle Tommy used to visit me all the time when I was a kid."

"They were good people. I wish I would've kept in touch."

"It's never too late," Olivia suggested, "Aunt Guin lives by the flower shop on Elm Street and uncle Tommy's always drifting around the park."

"Tommy drifts around the park?" Eli raised a brow.

"He's involved with a lot of community programs," Olivia offered. "I'm surprised the two of you haven't run into each other yet."

"I haven't been out and about much." Eli shifted uncomfortably under Olivia's gaze.

"He's the ag teacher," she stated.

"Oh." Eli shook his head - he hadn't exchanged a single word with the man during the last nine weeks he had been teaching. It all made sense now, though: the stares and feeling that he knew the man.

"So, um," Eli cleared his throat, "You still talk to your mom?"

"I haven't seen my mother since I was seven."

Eli narrowed his eyes at the frosty tone that had suddenly crept into Olivia's voice - a complete one-eighty from the warmth when she had talked about Guin and Tommy.

"What happened?" He was digging for information - and it was probably obvious, but he needed to know.

"She left in the middle of the night. My nana never told me why - I don't think she knew why. After a while, I quit asking questions and I quit talking about it. I wasn't about to become the poor, pitiful girl who didn't have either parent."

Eli nodded, admiring the hard glint in Olivia's eye - she was a fighter. He wouldn't expect any less from someone who shared his DNA.

"That doesn't sound much like the Maya I knew."

"Well no offence -" Olivia's hands made their way to her hips as she turned to face Eli. " -I don't think anyone ever knew my mother."

* * *

"You're killing me, Sadie," Jerry complained, watching as his daughter added the bright yellow squash to his shopping cart.

"You say that," Sadie sighed, "but mom would kill me if I let you come home with a shit ton of carbs and, well, I'm more afraid of mom."

"One check-up and it's all downhill from there," Jerry mumbled, turning his attention to the display of vibrant red tomatoes.

"Really?" Sadie tilted her head, offering a produce bag to her father, "Your A1C was 12, dad. 12."

"Because I didn't have time to prepare for it."

"Okay, old man." Sadie rolled her eyes, moving past Jerry and toward the selection of lettuce.

"Jerry! Hey."

Jerry turned his head, eyes settling on the man with a black shopping basket slung over his arm.

"Hi, Eli."

"I saw Olivia today," Eli shared.

"She - Where did you see Olivia?" Jerry shook his head as Sadie came sauntering back with her bounty of lettuce.

"At the cemetery. She had questions about how I knew Shelby. I didn't lie to her, but I also didn't tell her the whole truth. I feel like I should have, but -"

"Well, that's your decision," Jerry interrupted the man's rambling, rolling his eyes at his daughter as she placed even more vegetables and fruit into the shopping cart.

"I know, but you know her better than I do," Eli insisted. "It seems like she's been through a lot lately. I don't want to add any unnecessary stress."

"She has been through a lot. More than you know. Olivia is the only one who can decide if she is ready for this, Eli - you can't take that choice from her. Maya already did once."

"Yeah," Eli rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not Maya's biggest fan right now. All these years I had a daughter and...I missed a lot."

"Hold up. Wait a minute." Mercedes held her hands in the 'time-out' position as she waited for the two older men to glance in her direction. "_You're _Olivia's dad?"

When Eli nodded, Sadie chimed in with:

"Perfect. Just what we needed. More drama."

* * *

"Did you stop by the hospital?"

Olivia turned her head to glance at Athena - the tall pre-teen was lounging in one of the rockers, her cell ever present in her hand.

"I did. They're going to start weaning your dad off the medicine tomorrow. He should be awake by this weekend."

Olivia smiled to herself at the excited glint that entered her daughter's eyes. Athena missed Fitz like crazy - and refused to plan her birthday party until her dad was awake.

"He'll be awake for my birthday."

"It looks that way," Olivia replied, patting the potting soil she had added to the green, ceramic pot on the porch step. She stumbled forward at the unexpected impact of Athena tossing her arms around her.

"I miss him," the blonde admitted, resting her chin on her mother's shoulder.

"I know you do, Ath." Olivia raised a hand, patting the girl's arm once Athena released her.

Both had their attention drawn to the drive as a grey truck rolled to a stop in front of the sidewalk. Olivia frowned when she saw Eli step out of the cab.

"What's he doing here?" Athena wondered, crossing her arms.

"I don't know. I barely know him. He knew my nana." Olivia shrugged, brushing her dirt-stained hands against her denim shorts.

"Weird," Athena commented, glancing at her phone. "I'm going to go in. Maxson's calling."

Olivia nodded, listening as Athena padded across the porch and opened the door, slamming it behind her. How many times had she told that girl to stop slamming doors?

"Hi Eli," Olivia greeted, plastering a smile on her face. It seemed she was plastering a smile for a lot of unexpected visitors these days.

"Hello Olivia," Eli took a deep breath, fidgeting with the silver watch on his wrist and clearing his throat, "We need to talk."


	24. Half Awake in a Fake Empire

_Olivia sat in the rocking chair, her gaze focused on the paint-stained concrete at her feet. The faded pinks and blues were reminiscent of a school project Athena had done. _

"_She um...she's…" Olivia cleared her throat, shaking her head and tightening her grip on the arms of the rocker. _

"_At the same hospital as Fitz." _

_Olivia nodded, teeth worrying at her bottom lip. She frowned at the coppery taste that flowed across her tongue when she bit just a little too hard. _

"_Not a nursing home?"_

"_When she called me, she was at Greenwood," Eli answered - giving the name of the nursing home Maya had spent her last year in. "She had a stroke last week." _

_Olivia sighed, her face remaining stony. Blinking rapidly, she questioned: _

"_You really didn't know?" _

"_If I had known, I would have never left." _

_Eli leaned against the wooden post, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Olivia. She hadn't said much after he had revealed that he'd seen her mother. _

"_I don't need someone to play my father." _

"_I don't want to play at being your father," Eli scoffed. "Your mom -" _

"_You don't have to say anything about my mom," Olivia spoke, pushing herself out of the chair. "I know firsthand how talented she is at screwing things up." _

_Turning her back to the man, she stomped across the concrete until she was at the door. Hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath before entering the home. Some secrets, she was sure, were meant to stay buried. _

* * *

"Today's the day!" Athena flounced into the kitchen, bouncing from one foot to another with a goofy grin on her face. Twirling around her mother, she reached for an apple from the glass bowl on the counter.

"Remember, your dad isn't going to be up for much when he gets home," Olivia reminded her, sipping at the coffee in her hand.

"Who cares?" Athena shrugged, biting happily into her breakfast. "Dad's going to be home."

"Yes he is." Olivia smiled, her free hand going to her stomach and the unnerving feeling of a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering about. They were going to have to have a talk as much as she had been trying to avoid it. The "he just woke up from a coma" excuse could only last for so long.

"Dad's coming home?" Lio paused in the doorway, fingers tight around the strap of his bookbag.

"Yes," Olivia answered, placing her blue mug on the counter and maneuvering around Athena to reach into the refrigerator. Pulling the black and white cloth lunchbox out, she held it toward Lio. "He'll be home by the time you get out of school. Don't forget that uncle Tommy is bringing you home. You'll have to ride the bus to the high school."

"Why can't I go with you?" Lio wrapped his hand around the handle of his proffered lunchbox.

"I think it'll be best if your dad settles in before the three of you get home. He's still not one-hundred percent."

"Daddy's coming home today!" Seph came dancing into the kitchen, her singing floating through the air, curls bouncing around her face and eyes sparkling.

"Aren't you all excited?" Olivia chuckled, kneeling in front of Seph and straightening the pink button-down the little girl was wearing.

"It's going to be a great day." Athena grinned, reaching for her bag from the barstool and slinging it over her shoulder. Holding her hand toward her sister, she announced, "Come on slowpokes. The bus'll be here soon."

* * *

"I think that's everything," Olivia remarked, setting the last vase of flowers on the kitchen counter.

"It looks like a damn florist shop in here," Fitz chuckled, his eyes travelling across the many, many vases of flowers.

"You're very popular." Olivia slid her hands into her pockets, frowning as her fingers touched the round, plastic in her pocket. Pulling the ring free, she held it toward Fitz. "The nurses gave this to me. They said it was yours, but I -"

"It is," Fitz grinned, holding his hand out and wrapping his fingers around the cheap, neon pink ring once Olivia laid it in his hand. "I haven't gone anywhere without it in years."

"Years? I don't remember ever giving you a pink ring," Olivia joked.

"You didn't." Fitz's eyes sparkled as he twisted the ring around in his hand. "Athena did."

"When was this?" Olivia probed, leaning against the island.

"Oh God," Fitz laughed. "She must have been four? Maybe five. It was when she was going through that phase - convinced we were replacing her with Lio."

"I remember that," Olivia laughed, "she asked if we could give him back."

"Yes she did." Fitz rubbed his jaw with his free hand, smiling. "I took her to the arcade. You thought she needed some one-on-one time."

"Ah yes. If only I'd known she'd turn into such a daddy's girl."

Fitz shook his head, the skin around his eyes crinkling. "She asked why I always wore a ring. I told her that it was mine and your promise to always love each other. So she got that ring with her tickets, gave it to me, and asked if I promised to always love her."

"They're lucky, Fitz. All three of them."

"Is that so?" Fitz tilted his head, tucking the ring into the pocket of his shirt.

"They have a great dad."

"They have a great mom, too."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Liv," Fitz met her gaze. "What was it you said? Something about us getting our shit together - actually communicating?"

"You remember what I said to you?"

"Bits and pieces. You may not feel it right now, but you _are_ a great mom."

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

"Never better," Fitz smirked, "Coughing's a bitch."

"I would say so," Nathan agreed, snorting. "How have the two of you been? It's been a...few months. I spoke, briefly, with Olivia shortly after you were first admitted to the hospital about an incident -"

"About us sleeping together," Fitz stated.

"Well -"

"He knows that I told you," Olivia informed the counsellor. "We agreed that it would be best to discuss it here. In a neutral setting."

"That's...significant progress. Well," Nathan clasped his hands, "Olivia, would you like to start?"

Olivia took a deep breath, twisting on the sofa to look at Fitz.

"I was very conflicted about what happened. I thought it would ruin all the progress we've made these last few months until I talked to your dad. And your sister. They both had valid points - we can move forward. This will only hold us back if we let it. And, like Sadie said, this happened - there has to be some deep, subconcious feelings that we want to deny, but they're there. I mean, obviously we can't go fuck whenever, but don't we owe it to ourselves to find out what it is?"

"Liv," Fitz swallowed, "I'm not ready for that."

Olivia bit her lip, bowing her head.

"I think we need to focus on rebuilding our friendship first. I will be honest and say that I didn't think I could ever forgive you. It was easy to blame you for cheating -"

"What changed?" Nathan interjected.

"Being in a coma. Re-experiencing everything. We both played our parts. It's messy and it doesn't make a lot of sense. Life doesn't make much sense, though. Nothing is ever just black and white. Liv, you have a mental illness that contributed to all of those decisions you made back then and I...I wasn't there. My absence was as much a factor as your mental illness. Does it make what you did right? No. But what I did wasn't right either."

"That's an important realisation," Nathan affirmed. "I believe Olivia had concerns about _that_ night -"

"The things you said and did -"

"Vanilla's not really my thing, Liv. It's something I've accepted since our breakup and I know it can be a little -"

"I want to learn."

Fitz raised a brow, eyes widening as he looked at Olivia.

"You want to learn?" He repeated, slowly.

"It was exciting. Is that...weird?"

"No," Fitz answered.

"You kept calling me your girl."

"I know I did, Livvie. And that was wrong of me."

"What?" Olivia tilted her head, frowning.

"I love you. God help me, I love you. You broke my heart. Cheated on me. And I still fucking love you. I can't escape that. And apparently drunk me wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know that you're mine. Not Jake's. I'm sorry I said that, Liv."

"I'm not."

* * *

**A/N - **It's all uphill from here on out. There's still going to be (some) drama and, of course, plenty of healing, but no major crashes. I feel like for a short chapter, this one is loaded and I'm sorry.

Until next time,

Gabi xxx


	25. Beautiful Strangers

"Olivia!"

Olivia froze with her hand on the brass doorknob. That voice - high pitched and unbelievably cheery, cut through the crowded corridor like a knife. A large, sharp, unwanted knife. Squaring her shoulders, a frown on her burgundy lips, she twisted the doorknob and slid inside her office. Resting her back against the door, Olivia took a few deep, even breaths. She could just pretend she hadn't heard her, right?

The knocking said otherwise.

Frowning, Olivia pushed away from the door and turned with her arms crossed over her chest. Wearily, she watched the solid oak as the knocking continued.

"I saw you walk in there, Livvie."

Olivia winced at the nickname. It sounded _wrong_ coming from her. She had only picked it up once she'd started hanging out with Olivia, Fitz, Eddie, and Susanna. Knowing what Olivia knew now, that woman had no business using the nickname she allowed her closest friends to use.

Swallowing, running her tongue across her now dry lips, Olivia placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted. The look on Mellie's face was priceless - eyes wide and hand poised to knock once more.

"Livvie!" Mellie was all smiles - fake innocence and overly large bravado included.

"Mellie." Olivia's monotone carried the brief distance between the two. "What are you doing here?"

"I was giving a guest lecture." Mellie grinned, forcing her way into the office and spinning, slowly, around the room with her hands on her hips.

Olivia gritted her teeth when Mellie walked around her desk - moving her head from picture frame to picture frame.

"The kids are getting so big!" Mellie picked up a white, 8x10 frame. "Is this really Athena with her dad?"

"Her last father/daughter dance," Olivia explained, "They don't do those in high school."

"But a photo of Fitz. On your desk. How...strange." Mellie's smile faltered, her cheery voice dropping an octave. "I see you don't have any photos of Jake."

"It's been almost a year, Mellie. I know gossip went around town and I know everyone knows what he did. Why would you even mention him?" Olivia crossed her arms, arching a brow and studying her former friend.

"Oh Livvie," Mellie tsked, setting the frame back on Olivia's desk. "Jake loves you. You can't just throw that away because -"

"Wow," Olivia shook her head, snorting and smiling, "I should run back to the man who abused me. Manipulated me. Stole from me."

"Livvie," Mellie sighed, frowning slightly. "He gave you the world."

"He took my world."

"Did someone -"

"No," Olivia smirked. "Just therapy. Made me see that despite everything I did, punishing myself wasn't the answer. I don't think we have anything else to say to each other, Mellie. The door's that way."

Olivia stood to the side, her finger dangling in the air as she pointed toward the door.

* * *

"Wait…" Athena stood in front of the island, nose upturned and mouth open. "We're doing what? Is that even safe? For you?"

"Really, Ath? What part of camping do you think I can't do?" Fitz raised a brow, knife frozen above the head of lettuce on the counter.

"It's just... It's only been three months, dad. You _just _got out of the wheelchair." Athena crossed her arms over her chest - the determined look she held on her face reminding Fitz so much of her mother.

"I'll be fine, kiddo," Fitz grinned, slicing downward into the lettuce. "Our end of summer bash before school starts. You could bring a friend. We never did throw you a birthday party."

"I told you I didn't need one, dad. You had enough going on." Athena shrugged, stealing a piece of lettuce from her dad before moving toward the breakfast table and plopping down in a chair.

"You act a little too much like an adult sometimes, kiddo."

"Someone has to," Athena mumbled, wrapping her free hand around a charcoal pencil. Louder, she stated: "Can't we just do like an indoor water park or something?"

"You'd rather do that?"

"Ugh. Yeah." Dropping her pencil beside her sketchpad, Athena reached for her ringing phone. Before Fitz could add to the conversation, she was out the door - Fitz catching the tail-end of her, "Maxson!"

Sighing, Fitz sat the knife on the counter when his phone started ringing. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he reached for the device.

"Sadie?"

"You're thinking about going camping?!"

"Athena's not allowed to text you anymore."

"Fitzgerald Thomas."

"Yes, mother?" Fitz quipped, smirking. His sister didn't need to be standing in front of him for him to know she wore a frown on her face.

"Keep it up. I'll get mom involved."

Fitz's quiet laughter died as he scrambled to come up with a retort, resorting to the ages-old: "I'm not afraid of her."

"The hell you aren't! Seriously, though, camping? You _just _got out of that wheelchair - do you want back in it?"

"I want all of you to stop treating me like I'm helpless," Fitz bit back.

"No one said you're helpless. Stubborn and probably going to re-injure yourself, sure."

"I'm a big boy, Sadie. I don't need my kid sister watching over me."

"You keep telling yourself that."

"Dad!" Athena called as she slammed the door, the sound echoing into the kitchen.

Fitz tilted his phone downward, turning the microphone away from his mouth for a moment. Raising a brow, he waited for Athena to continue.

"Mom's home. She's taking me to therapy."

"Shit," Fitz swore, glancing at the clock on the stove. Sure enough, Athena's therapy session was scheduled for thirty minutes from now. "I'm sorry, Ath."

"It's cool," Athena shrugged, reaching across the island for another piece of lettuce. "I just didn't want you to think I ran off."

"Have a good session."

"Yep. Tell aunt Sadie I said hi." Athena waved her hand, smiling sweetly before bouncing back out of the kitchen. Fitz shook his head.

That girl.

* * *

"How have things been? I haven't seen you in a couple weeks." Mary-Ann sat across from Athena, her elbow resting on her chair's arm-rest as her hand rested on her chin.

"Okay."

"Just okay?" Mary-Ann smiled. "Last time we spoke, you were excited about starting eighth grade."

"Things happened since then?" Athena relaxed against the back of her seat, sinking into the cushions.

"What happened?"

"Dad's planning some weird camping trip."

"Weird?"

"The last time we did something as a family I was like 7. Seph was a baby. They took me to DisneyWorld. Tried to make up for having Seph."

"You weren't happy about having a sister?"

"No," Athena laughed. "I didn't want a sister. Or a brother."

"I see," Mary-Ann tsked. "What about now?"

"Well I'm not seven anymore so…"

"You're avoiding the question," Mary-Ann stated.

"They're annoying and loud, but I like them. I wouldn't want anymore."

"Was there a question of you having more siblings?" Mary-Ann raised a brow, tapping her pen against her knee.

"I'm not supposed to know about that," Athena shrugged.

"What happened?"

"I heard my mom talking to my aunt. She was happy her test was negative."

"Her test?"

"Her pregnancy test. I saw the box in the trash," Athena shrugged. "I figured she'd start seeing someone again, but...My dad's gonna get hurt - he's going to therapy for her and...I heard him tell her that he was happy she wasn't pregnant because they weren't ready for that. She's still my mom - still running around stomping all over everyone's feelings and my dad... He's always trying to pick up the pieces for her."

"I see," Mary-Ann cleared her throat, "Have you considered that you only know part of the story? Your mom might not be seeing someone else."

"There's three of us - I think she knows how babies work," Athena snorted, "She's no virgin Mary."

"How would you feel about your mom dating again?"

"I mean...as long as it's not someone like Jake."

"And what if it's your dad?"

Athena lifted her gaze, eyes widening, and shook her head. Some things didn't need to be said.

* * *

"Hey." Olivia entered the kitchen, dropping her laptop bag by the island. "Something smells good."

"For now," Fitz chuckled. "Athena wanted 'vegetarian spaghetti'."

"Interesting," Olivia laughed. "Are the meatballs included?"

Fitz turned his head, glancing at the bag sitting on the counter behind him.

"Those? They're plant based."

"The things we do for our kids." Olivia pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying at the sensitive skin while she watched Fitz in silence - working up the courage to talk about her day.

"I um...I saw Mellie today."

Fitz's hands stilled, knife hovering above the onion on the cutting board.

"And?"

"She thinks it's weird I have a picture of you on my desk. Is it?"

"It's weird that you let her into your office," Fitz retorted.

"She kind of bullied her way in there," Olivia admitted, gripping the edge of the counter and leaning back.

"No. It's not weird you have a picture of me in your office, Liv. _Our _daughter is in that picture, too."

"She… tried to make me feel bad for leaving Ja -"

Hands resuming movement, Fitz practically brutalised the poor onion before him.

"Don't let her ruin your day."

"I didn't." Olivia released the countertop, clasping her hands in front of her. "I may have told her off."

"May?" Fitz smirked.

"I definitely told her off." Shrugging, Olivia reached for her bag and moved toward the table. "And we owe Abby dinner."

"Abby?" Fitz moved toward the stove, eyeing the sauce he was cooking.

"One of my friends at work. She's never met my family. Jake wouldn't let me invite anyone over, but - " Olivia continued chatting - giving Fitz all the information he needed about Abby and then some. It had been so long since they'd really talked that lately she had trouble turning herself off.

"We'll invite her over one night," Fitz suggested. "Dinner. Drinks. Board games?"

"Definitely board games," Olivia laughed, her gaze falling on the stove. "Don't burn the sauce!"

* * *

**A/N: **Athena doesn't know what she thinks she knows - _that _should be interesting. Fitz and Liv are healing - therapy is coming up and...no more time jumps. Mellie is here - the amount of drama she will cause is yet to be seen, but Liv's got a bit of her spark back. She won't make it easy.

Until Wednesday,

Gabi


	26. Catharsis

"Is this too much?" Olivia stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, tugging at the bottom of her yellow and black flannel.

"For dinner with one of your coworkers?" Fitz raised a brow, coming up behind her and adjusting his collar.

"You know what I mean." Olivia bit her lip, using a finger to rub away the slightly smudged eyeshadow.

"We were taking family photos. I can get the kids and prove that they're colour-coordinated, too."

"It's not like we didn't have time to change." Olivia addressed the ever-looming elephant in the room without so much as _saying _the words.

"Why change when you look good?" Fitz winked, fingertips brushing against her arm. It was a common occurrence lately - subtle touching mixed in with all the 'couple-y' things they used to do. There weren't labels. They weren't ready for that.

"And that would be her," Olivia sighed as the sound of the doorbell rang through the house - sending the kids' dog into a barking frenzy.

"You get the door. I'll see if I can't coax the dog into ou - my bedroom."

Fitz was out of the room before Olivia had time to address his slip of tongue. Those had become more frequent as of late - just another thing to add to the long list of therapy topics.

Leaving the room, Olivia could hear Fitz's muffled bargaining with the grey and black Husky up the stairs. That dog would do anything for the kids - their dad? Not so much. Smirking, Olivia continued past the staircase and to the family room.

"Hey Abby," Olivia greeted, throwing the door open. The redhead stood on the other side, awkwardly cradling a glass bottle in the nook of her arm as she hugged Olivia.

"You didn't back out!" Abby patted Olivia's back, pulling away.

"Huh?" Olivia stood to the side, giving Abby space to enter the warm room and shutting the door.

"We were going to do this last year, but you kept cancelling." Abby reminded her.

"Fitz isn't Jake," Olivia shrugged, leading her friend into the kitchen. "I did come close to cancelling though."

"Now you're just making me feel like you didn't want to see me," Abby joked.

"Ha."

* * *

"Okay," Abby stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth, reaching for a red card from the deck on the table.

"I'm a little nervous," Fitz admitted, glancing at Olivia. "Last time you get to pick party games."

"You're having fun!" Olivia playfully shoved his shoulder, grinning at Abby. The two had been ganging up on Fitz ever since dinner - a dinner that had made Olivia's panic attack earlier in the day seem almost comical. Fitz was _not _Jake. She had to remember that.

"Alright. Alright," Abby held the card in front of her face, reading in a dramatic voice: "The first one to lick someone else's elbow wins!"

In a blur, all three were out of their chairs and running around the kitchen - doing their best to stay away from each other and keeping all arms tucked.

"Don't even think about it," Fitz warned, holding a hand out and trying to keep Olivia at arm's length as he was cornered.

"That's probably the most PG place you've had her tongue on you!" Abby's shrill laughter filled the kitchen and, in Fitz's moment of distraction, Olivia successfully placed her tongue on his elbow.

"I win this round!" Olivia shrieked when Fitz's arms wrapped around her waist, a shiver going down her spine at the feel of his warm breath brushing across her ear.

"Cheater."

He held her against his chest a moment longer than necessary before releasing her with a pinch on her hip - eliciting another shriek.

* * *

"Hey Livv - Dr. Grant." Abby shut Olivia's office door behind her, stopping mid-informal greeting when she noticed the tall woman standing in front of the desk. "Sorry I interrupted."

"It's fine, Abby. Mellie was leaving anyway." Olivia met Abby's gaze, rolling her eyes.

"Mellie?" Abby turned on the brunette, smiling dangerously. "So you're the bitch who was drugging Liv."

"I never -"

"That's cute that you think you can lie to me," Abby smirked, stepping forward. "A little crash course for you: Before teaching, I was an attorney. And a damn good one. I _know _when you're lying."

"You can't prove anything."

"And you're lucky that I can't. We'll consider this a warning. I heard Liv ask you not to contact her anymore. Anything after today is harassment and I will testify as such."

"Bye Mellie," Olivia smiled into her mug, shaking her head when the door slammed behind her old friend. "You didn't have to do that, Abby."

"Yes I did."

"She could say you threatened her."

"Oh Liv," Abby shook her head. "I feel like you've had so many shitty relationships that you don't even know what it's like to have a friend."

"Maybe…" Olivia sighed.

"Girl," Abby waited for Olivia to look at her. "I would gladly kick Mellie's ass and sit in a jail cell for you. But I didn't come in here to talk about Mellie."

"Of course not," Olivia laughed. "What did you come in here for?"

"I wanted to tell you that I had a lot of fun last night and…" Abby clasped her hands behind her back, taking a deep breath. "Seeing you with Fitz...It made a lot of sense, Liv."

"Huh?"

"You two. You make sense together. And that man is head over heels for you."

* * *

"We had a dinner party last night," Olivia offered, tucking her hands beneath her thighs.

"Just one person," Fitz elaborated. "One of Liv's coworkers."

"How did it go?" Nathan sat with one leg crossed over the other, his legal pad dangling from one hand and a pen clasped in the other.

"It was fun. We played a game after -"

"-maybe a little personal -"

"_Some _of the cards," Fitz added, chuckling. "It was...nice to get along again."

"So where does that leave the two of you?"

Olivia looked toward Fitz, her mouth twisting downward.

"As in?" She questioned.

"You've been living together for over a year. You've slowly been building your friendship again. You've slept together. And now you're having dinner parties together."

"We -"

"We're -"

They stopped, shaking their heads.

"Go ahead," Fitz offered.

"You go ahead." Olivia shook her head.

"We're friends."

"Olivia," Nathan started, "What were you going to say?"

"That we don't know," Olivia admitted, eyes settling on her lap. "But friends works too."

She bit her lip to stop the grin from spreading across her face when Fitz's hand sought hers, his long fingers intertwining with hers.

"You don't have to label anything before you're ready," Nathan stated.

* * *

"When are the kids coming back?" Olivia asked, handing Fitz a steaming mug before lowering herself to the floor and settling into the thick pile of covers.

"In the morning. Eli hasn't gotten tired of them yet." Fitz reached for the remote and began flipping through shows on Netflix.

"It was awfully brave of him to want to take them to a carnival and _still _have a sleepover," Olivia laughed.

"Better him than us," Fitz chuckled, leaning back against the sofa and giving Olivia room to bury under the covers at his side. "I'm still impressed you let them go."

"Just because I'm not ready to have him in my life as my dad, doesn't mean I'm going to keep our kids from their grandpa."

"What about your mom?"

"Ugh," Olivia winced when her head collided with Fitz's arm. "Sorry!"

"Are you okay?"

Before she could answer, his fingers were gently pressing against the back of her skull - feeling for any forming bumps.

"I'm fine." She waited for him to drop his arm before snuggling further into the covers. "I don't want to see my mom. She left me. I couldn't understand that before I had kids - I definitely can't understand it now. And nothing she could say, if she even _knew _what she was saying or who I am, would justify the way she made me feel."

"Liv," Fitz's fingers beneath her jaw forced her to raise her gaze to his. She bit her lip at the way he was looking at her - of course he remembered the conversations they used to have about this topic. All the nights she spent crying because of the hole her mother's absence had left - the _feeling _that she wasn't good enough for her own mother.

Lost in her reminiscing, she was surprised to find Fitz's face inches from her own - his blue eyes soft and watching for her response. For her permission. It was more than she was used to being given these last years.

"You have always been enough," he whispered before closing the distance - lips covering hers. The kiss - soft, gentle, - ended so quickly that, if it hadn't been for Olivia's slightly swollen bottom lip she wouldn't have been certain of it having even happened.

Sighing contentedly, Olivia settled into Fitz's side - head resting on his chest.

"Athena is going to be pissed."

* * *

_**A/N - **_**There are a **_**lot **_**of blanks to fill in from the last few months that have led to where Liv and Fitz are in this chapter. I am working on that lengthy, missing parts chapter. I'm not going to promise that it will be up this month - I need a break from writing this Olitz. It's not a permanent break nor will it be a long one, but I need to write out a happy Olitz before I can come back to this one. **

**Until next time, **

**G. xxx**


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